(UnitedVoice.com) – Accidents sometimes happen on movie and television sets. On occasion, those events end tragically. For example, in 1993, actor Brandon Lee died on the set of “The Crow” when he was shot during a scene. The gun used in the accident was not supposed to have live rounds in it.
Nearly 30 years later, a similar incident happened on the set of an Alec Baldwin film. Prosecutors are now blaming the armorer for the deadly accident.
The Shooting
On October 21, 2021, cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, director Joel Souza, and actor Alec Baldwin were rehearsing a scene in “Rust,” a Western movie they were filming on Bonanza Creek Ranch in New Mexico. Baldwin was reportedly telling Hutchins and the others on the crew how he was going to draw his .45 Colt revolver replica. He was supposed to pull his gun out of a holster and then point it toward the camera. He drew the weapon, and it discharged.
Hutchins, a 42-year-old married mother of one, was shot when the weapon discharged. She died later that day. Souza was also hit, but survived the incident.
Baldwin claimed he never pulled the trigger, but a subsequent FBI investigation determined the gun would not have fired otherwise. The actor was charged in January 2023 for involuntary manslaughter. However, those charges were later dropped. Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was also charged with involuntary manslaughter, and new information was just revealed in the case against her.
The Allegations
On June 8, Santa Fe County prosecutors responded to a motion by Gutierrez-Reed’s attorneys to dismiss. In the filing, prosecutors Jason Lewis and Kari Morrissey stated that there was “some evidence to support the theory that [the defendant] herself may be responsible” for introducing the live rounds to the set. The prosecutors went on to say that if they can prove that to be true, there could be additional charges filed against her.
Further, prosecutors allege that witnesses will testify that Gutierrez-Reed was drinking alcohol and smoking weed while the film was being shot. They believe she might have been “hung over when she inserted a live bullet into a gun” that she knew would be used at some point during the filming. Prosecutors allege all she had to do was shake all of the bullets to ensure they rattled before she loaded them into the guns.
Prosecutors argued the charges against Gutierrez-Reed are justified, given the alleged facts of the case. They went on to say that she has a “history of reckless conduct that has resulted in loss of human life,” and she deserves to be held accountable.
The gun Baldwin used was not supposed to have a live round in it. No live rounds should have been on the set at all to prevent a tragedy like this one.
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