On April 15, local time in the United States, 26-year-old movie prop maker Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison.
On October 21, 2021, a serious accident occurred on the set of the western film "RUST". The gun that was supposed to use safety blank bullets was loaded with real bullets, causing actor Alec Baldwin to shoot and kill 42-year-old photographer Halyna Hutchins.
Baldwin collapsed on the set after learning that he had killed someone with a prop gun
In the more than two years since the incident, Gutierrez-Reed, who was responsible for the control of gun props, and Baldwin, who directly caused the death of others, have been investigated by the police and charged with manslaughter by prosecutors in January 2023. Later, the prosecutors withdrew the charges against Baldwin, which temporarily relieved him for insisting on his innocence. However, in January this year, prosecutors re-charged Baldwin with manslaughter on the grounds of obtaining new evidence, and the case is expected to enter the trial stage in July this year.
On the other hand, prop master Gutierrez-Reed, who should have assumed more safety responsibilities, was found guilty of manslaughter by the jury last month, and was sentenced to 18 months in prison by the judge the day before yesterday. It is reported that 18 months is the maximum sentence for this crime. Judge Mary Sommer said that this was mainly because the prop master who indirectly caused the tragedy had always shown no remorse. The prosecutor reviewed Gutierrez-Reed's phone call records in the detention center. From her words, she obviously hoped to blame others, and even blamed the medical staff for not rescuing her in time. In addition, she also called the jurors "a bunch of idiots" during the call, and made derogatory remarks about the judge and prosecutor, which ultimately led Judge Mary Sommer to decide to impose the maximum sentence.
"Hannah Gutierrez-Reed turned a safe weapon into a deadly one. If it weren't for you, Halina Hutchins would still be alive, her husband would not be left without a partner, and her children would not be left without a mother," the judge said in court.
Photographer Halina Hutchins graduated from the American Film Institute in 2015. Two years later, she officially entered the industry and began shooting feature films. In 2019, she was selected into the American Society of Cinematographers' "Bright Newcomer" list.
On the set of "Rust", prop master Hannah Gutierrez-Reid posted a selfie on her personal social platform
After learning her final sentence, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was emotional. In her final statement, she said that she was also moved and heartbroken by what happened to Halina Hutchins and her family, but she also pointed out: "The media portrayed me as a complete monster in this tragedy, which made me feel extremely sad." According to her, when she joined "Rust", she was still very young and lacked enough time, resources and personnel to prepare. "But I did my best to take this job seriously... In the end, the jury found that I was responsible for this tragedy, but this does not mean that I am the monster in the media's mouth."
In addition, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed's stepfather, Thell Reed, a senior film prop master, said, "It is a terrible tragedy for Halina to lose her life, and it is also a tragedy that my daughter Hannah is imprisoned because of this."
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, 26, graduated from college with a degree in film and television a few years ago. She got into the business of movie props and firearms thanks to her stepfather's connections. However, the evidence provided by the prosecution showed that the young girl did not perform her duties well. Several witnesses said that she had the habit of drinking and smoking marijuana on the set, and these evidences eventually led to the jury's verdict of her manslaughter.
