Judge ‘allows Rust armourer to keep gun at home for protection’ after threats
Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed has been allowed to keep a gun at her home for safety purposes, it has been claimed.
The weapons supervisor has been charged with involuntary manslaughter alongside Alec Baldwin, following the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust in 2021.
The 25-year-old attended a virtual hearing earlier today, where her legal team argued that she should be able to keep a firearm on her property, after receiving threats.
According to multiple reports, the court was told that she had been threatened and was also forced to file a restraining order against a stalker.
Her lawyer, Jason Bowles, alleged that authorities had released documents on the case but failed to redact her personal information, including phone numbers.
‘Ms Gutierrez Reed then had numerous threats, phone threats. She had voicemails that were very, very, very bad,’ he said, via PA.
‘She is asking the court just to be able to have for self-defense in her home only, not to be able to possess a firearm generally outside of her home.’
However, District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies reportedly declared that she was ‘adamantly’ opposed to the request, due to Gutierrez-Reed’s ‘sloppy mishandling of firearms and guns’ on the Rust film set.
Judge Mary Marlow Sommer then ruled that she would be able to keep a ‘firearm at her residence’,’ the publication reports.
Baldwin was due to appear virtually for the hearing but instead entered a not guilty plea on Thursday.
The 64-year-old accidentally discharged a prop gun on the set of the Western in October, 2021, fatally shooting cinematographer Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza.
He has always maintained that he was not aware that the gun had a live round, and that he did not intend to hurt Hutchins.
Amid an investigation into the incident, the 30 Rock star was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter – but has vowed to fight the decision.
Both Gutierrez-Reed and Baldwin are due to attend a preliminary hearing, where it will be determined whether or not the case will proceed to trial.
The news comes after the production company behind Rust had agreed to pay a $100,000 fine to the New Mexico Environment Department’s Occupational Health and Safety Bureau (OHSB) over the incident.
The bureau previously issued a fine of $136,793 (£104,810) to the production company last April, the maximum allowable by state law in New Mexico.
Under the settlement, which is pending approval, the bureau downgraded its claim from ‘wilful-serious’ to a ‘serious’ violation.
Melina Spadone, senior counsel at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman and lawyer for Rust Movie Productions, said: ‘We are pleased to have entered into an agreement with OHSB, subject to approval, which downgrades the citation and reduces penalties.
‘Our top priority has always been resuming production and completing this film so we can honour the life and work of Halyna Hutchins.
‘Settling this case rather than litigating is how we can best move forward to achieve that goal.’
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