Hannah Gutierrez-Reed’s trial over the fatal “Rust” movie shooting began Thursday, providing dramatic audio of the shooting victims and accusations of “sloppy” safety protocols.
Gutierrez-Reed worked as the armorer on the set of “Rust” when the fatal shooting occurred Oct. 21, 2021, at Bonanza Creek Ranch.
The trial opened with bodycam footage showing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins with a chest wound from the shooting.
After Alec Baldwin had been practicing a cross draw, the gun he was holding fired, killing Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza. The armorer, who was 24 at the time, was not in the church during the shooting.
In the bodycam footage, someone can be heard speaking to Hutchins, who had a chest wound from the shooting. “Deep breath, Halyna, there you go, good girl,” an unknown female voice said.
Souza can also be heard crying out in pain in the background of the footage. Jurors also saw footage of Gutierrez-Reed in the immediate aftermath of the shooting. She also complained that she had been “yelled at” in the footage.
Prosecutors accused Gutierrez-Reed of being “unprofessional and sloppy” and “negligent” on the set, directly causing the death of Hutchins, claiming that she brought the live ammo to the Western film set.
However, her defense blamed Baldwin and the production company behind “Rust” for the fatal shooting and that his client has been used as a “scapegoat.”
Earlier that day, Baldwin had lost his bid to dismiss a wrongful death lawsuit brought by Hutchins’ family.
Gutierrez-Reed’s defense claims that she was put in a difficult position by the production company and accused Hollywood actors of not following standard safety practices.
Baldwin has also been charged with involuntary manslaughter, but a trial date has not been set.
