Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Western film Rust, is no longer behind bars.
New Mexico authorities confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that Gutierrez-Reed was released from prison Friday, after having been sentenced to 18 months in April 2024.
As part of her parole, Gutierrez-Reed is required to report immediately to an officer in Bullhead City, Ariz., according to a parole certificate reviewed by EW. Her early release comes with stipulations including no contact with the victim’s family and abiding by a curfew.
Gutierrez-Reed was serving as the weapons supervisor on Rust on Oct. 21, 2021, when a prop gun being wielded by actor and producer Alec Baldwin discharged a live round, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.
Baldwin had been told the gun was “cold,” meaning it did not contain live ammunition, and he has maintained that he did not pull the trigger. The actor was initially charged with involuntary manslaughter before the charges were dropped, then was charged again in January 2024. The case against him was ultimately dismissed last July after the prosecutors committed a Brady violation.
Prosecutors in Gutierrez-Reed’s case argued that she was neglectful in her duties supervising the safety of the prop weapons on Rust, contending that she unknowingly brought live ammunition to the production and allowed it to remain on set for at least 12 days, according to the Associated Press. Gutierrez-Reed also faced a charge of tampering with evidence but was acquitted.
Rust Movie Productions LLC
Alec Baldwin in ‘Rust’
Rust eventually resumed production in 2023 and completed filming 19 months after Hutchins’ death. The film opened in limited release earlier this month, grossing $25,000 from 115 theaters.
When Rust opened, Hutchins’ mother, Olga Solovey, and sister, Svetlana Zemko, encouraged people to see the film despite its tragic background.
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“I watched my daughter’s stunning film twice,” Solovey told PEOPLE. “I was so happy for the success of my daughter because it was filmed so beautifully. I would want everybody to watch it because it was the dream of my daughter and she would want people to see it.”
Zemko used a term of endearment when she added, “Everyone should see Gala’s work; this is high professionalism and high-level artistry. The film is strong. I would want Gala to be remembered not for the tragedy but for her talent and hard work.”
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