New developments in the investigation of the tragic incident on the set of the movie “Rust” have brought the focus back to the armorer, as prosecutors claim they have evidence suggesting she may have introduced live rounds onto the set.
This development follows the previous charges against Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the chief weapons handler, for “allowing live ammunition on the set,” though not for bringing the live rounds herself.
According to the recent court filing on June 8, special prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis pointed out to “some evidence” that supports the theory of Gutierrez-Reed’s responsibility in introducing the live rounds.
The prosecutors emphasized that “if this theory is confirmed additional criminal charges may follow.”
In addition, the gilimg also claimed that Gutierrez-Reed was found with four spent casings in her gun kit bag that match the live rounds discovered on the New Mexico set.
At the time of writing, Jason Bowles, Gutierrez-Reed’s defense lawyer, has yet to comment on these latest developments.
Meanwhile, in a separate plea deal, Dave Halls, the first assistant director of “Rust,” reportedly admitted to negligent use of a deadly weapon related to the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
The controversy arose after the filed against Alec Baldwin were dropped after new evidence suggested that the gun’s hammer might have been modified, leading to the misfire. Baldwin maintains his assertion that he did not pull the trigger.
“We are pleased with the decision to dismiss the case against Alec Baldwin and we encourage a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic accident,” Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, the attorneys for Baldwin, said.
As of now, Gutierrez-Reed is the sole person facing charges in connection with Hutchins’ tragic death. Prosecutors have indicated that they will make a decision within 60 days regarding the possibility of filing new charges against Baldwin.
Bowles, Gutierrez-Reed’s defense attorney, has previously stated that his client neither purchased nor had access to the specific type of live round that caused Hutchins’ death. Gutierrez-Reed claimed that she mistakenly loaded the live round into the “Peacemaker” revolver used by Baldwin, believing it to be a dummy round.
