A weapons supervisor who is already facing involuntary manslaughter charges in connection with the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the New Mexico set of the Western film “Rust” in 2021 now faces an additional felony count.
According to court documents obtained by CBS News, the weapons supervisor, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, has been charged with one count of fourth-degree tampering with evidence. On the day of Hutchins’ shooting, Gutierrez-Reed is accused of transferring narcotics with the intent to prevent her own apprehension, prosecution, or conviction.
No specific details about the charge have been provided.
In response to the new allegations, Jason Bowles, an attorney for Gutierrez-Reed, criticized the special prosecutor, stating that it is shocking to introduce a completely new charge without prior notice or any supporting evidence after 20 months of investigation.
On October 21, 2021, during a rehearsal on a film set outside Santa Fe, cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was accidentally shot and killed by actor Alec Baldwin when a prop gun discharged. The film’s director, Joel Souza, was also injured.
After a thorough investigation, both Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed were charged with involuntary manslaughter in January. However, in April, the special prosecutors, Lewis and Morrissey, dropped the charges against Baldwin due to new facts that required further investigation and forensic analysis. They emphasized that this decision does not absolve Baldwin of criminal culpability and charges may be refiled. However, the charges against Gutierrez-Reed would remain.
In court filings earlier this month, the special prosecutors responded to Gutierrez-Reed’s attorneys’ request to dismiss the involuntary manslaughter charges. They stated that they had witnesses who could testify to Gutierrez-Reed’s heavy drinking and marijuana use during the “Rust” production. They also alleged that she was likely hungover when she mistakenly loaded a live bullet into Baldwin’s gun.
In March, as part of a plea deal with Santa Fe County prosecutors, “Rust” assistant director David Halls pleaded guilty to unsafe handling of a firearm and received six months’ probation.
According to the probable cause statement filed in January, Gutierrez-Reed retrieved the gun from the prop truck on the afternoon of the shooting and handed it to Halls without conducting a necessary safety check. Halls also failed to request the safety check before handing the weapon to Baldwin.
Production of “Rust” resumed in April at Yellowstone Film Ranch in Montana. Baldwin confirmed in late May that he had completed filming on the production.
– Alex Sundby contributed to this report.
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