The armorer responsible for guns on the set Alec Baldwin’s movie Rust has spoken out, saying she has no idea how live rounds got there and that producers have made it unsafe.
Hannah GutierrezReed, 24, released a statement through attorneys claiming she is not to blame in the death Halyna HUTCHINS, the director and photographer who was accidentally shot by Baldwin as they were practicing a scene.
Hannah places safety first on her set. This set would not have been compromised if live ammunition was not introduced. The statement stated that Hannah does not know where the live rounds came.
Her lawyers stated that she was working two jobs, which made it difficult for her to focus on her job of an armorer. They didn’t mention the other job.
“She fought for training, days for weapons maintenance and adequate time to prepare to fire on gunfire, but she was ultimately overruled by production personnel and her department.
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Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was pictured last week (left). She released a statement last week denying responsibility for the fatal accident. She also stated that she was too exhausted on Rust and had two jobs, making it difficult to concentrate on gun safety. Baldwin, right is currently in Vermont bunkering down and spending time with his family, while the investigation into this shooting continues
Halyna Hutchins (42), was rushed to the hospital via air ambulance, but was not able to be saved. Many of the set assistant directors Dave Halls were responsible for unsafe productions. He has not spoken.
Circled is Baldwin (left), standing next to Halyna at the film set. Gutierrez–Reed is shown far left. In her statement, she claims that she doesn’t know how live rounds got to the set.
According to the statement, “The entire production set became unsafe because of various factors, including a lack of safety meetings.”
She claims that the production was unsafe echo those of other crew members. Many crew members blame Dave Halls, their assistant director, for allegedly running unsafe sets in the past.
Halls said to sheriff’s deputy after the shooting that Gutierrez-Reed asked him to show him the gun, before he handed it over to Baldwin last Thursday.
Halls stated that he could recall seeing three chambers in the gun containing dummy bullets. These bullets are distinguished from real bullets by a small hole in their sides.
Baldwin was then presented with the gun after he had looked at them.
Gutierrez-Reed asked Gutierrez to go back inside the chamber after the shooting. The five rounds were revealed to be five, with four dummies and one containing the spent casings of real bullets.
Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Medoza and Mary Carmack-Altwes, District Attorney, said Wednesday that all options are open when it comes time to charge those responsible for the accident.
Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department released Wednesday’s portion of the interview Halls and sheriff’s officers.
Halls confessed to the sheriff that all rounds had not been checked by him, but that he didn’t.
Others on set described Gutierrez–Reed as having an unorthodox approach to firearms training.
Jenson Ackles, Actor, said that she allowed him to pick his own gun weeks before the fatal accident involving Hutchins.
Baldwin, 63 years old, is currently hiding on the east coast with his family, while Santa Fe investigation continues.
He is cooperating in the authorities and has spoken to Matthew, Hutchins’ widower.
The fatal accident has not been investigated by any authorities, but Adan Mendoza, Santa Fe County Sheriff, stated that no one had been charged.
‘All options are on the table,’ added Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies.
A search warrant was released Wednesday that reveals how the gun got into Baldwin’s possession, but it is not clear how the live round got into the gun.
Alec Baldwin is seen with Halyna Utchins on Rust’s set. The production began shooting on October 6. Hutchins was killed in an automobile accident on October 21.
“David advised Hannah to show him the firearm before continuing rehearsal. He could only recall seeing three rounds.”
According to the search warrant, ‘He advised that he should have checked them all, but didn’t and couldn’t recall if she spun a drum.’
Baldwin was given the gun, and it was fired in the direction Joel Souza (Halyna Hutchins). Hutchins was killed, and Souza was taken to the hospital.
Halls then brought the gun back with him to Gutierrez Rice and asked her to open it.
The warrant also describes Hannah Gutierrez Reed’s description of not having ‘any live round’ on set.
‘Hannah advised she checked the dummies and made sure that they weren’t hot rounds.
‘She said as the crew broke for lunch, the firearms were taken back and secured inside a safe on a prop truck on set.
She said that the ammo was left on a cart at lunch and wasn’t secured.
‘After lunch, [property manager]Sarah Zachary took the firearms from the safe in the truck and gave them to Sarah.
She said that only a handful of people have access to the safe’s combination and can open it.
“Hannah advised that Alec Baldwin received the gun a few times and that David Halls also received it. Hannah stated that no live ammunition is kept on the set.