Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the Rust armorer convicted in the fatal on-set shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins by actor Alec Baldwin, was released on parole Friday under conditions that bar her from contacting Hutchins’ family, according to documents reviewed by Newsweek.
Why It Matters
Gutierrez-Reed was the weapons supervisor on the set of the Western film Rust where Hutchins was fatally shot in October 2021. Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer for Rust, was pointing a gun at the cinematographer during a film rehearsal when the gun was discharged, killing her and injuring director Joel Souza.
Gutierrez-Reed, who was convicted in March 2024, was sentenced to 18 months in prison. She was released on parole on Friday, Brittany Roembach, the public information officer (PIO) at the New Mexico Corrections Department (NMCD), told Newsweek.
Conditions of parole can vary for each person and offense.
What To Know
Gutierrez-Reed’s parole, which started on May 23, will expire in a year, on May 23, 2026, unless otherwise extended. In addition to the standard parole conditions, which include reporting to parole officers and maintaining “acceptable behavior,” among others, she also has special conditions.
One of the conditions bars Gutierrez-Reed from contacting the victim’s family, directly or indirectly, according to the parole document reviewed by Newsweek. She is also required to undergo a mental health assessment and follow any recommended treatment.
Her parole, approved by New Mexico’s Adult Parole Board, required her to report to an officer in Bullhead City, Arizona.
Roembach told Newsweek that Gutierrez-Reed “is on dual supervision: Parole for one year and probation for 18 months for a separate charge of unlawful carrying of a firearm.”
Evidence in the case showed that a few weeks before Rust began filming, Gutierrez-Reed carried a gun into a downtown bar in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where firearms are prohibited. She was indicted by a grand jury in 2023 on a felony charge over the matter, resulting in 18 months of probation.
Filming resumed on the western in 2023, after Hutchins’ family reached an agreement with Baldwin and producers. As part of the agreement, her husband, Matthew Hutchins, became the film’s executive producer.
What People Are Saying
Olga Solovey, Hutchins’ mother, told PEOPLE in May: “I watched my daughter’s stunning film twice. 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.”
Gutierrez-Reed said during her trial: “Your honor, when I took on Rust, I was young and naive. But I took my job as seriously as I knew how to. I beg you, please, don’t give me more time. The jury has found me in part at fault for this horrible tragedy, but that doesn’t make me a monster. That makes me human.”
Gutierrez-Reed’s defense attorneys Jason Bowles and Todd J. Bullion said in a January 2023 statement: “Hannah is, and has always been, very emotional and sad about this tragic accident. But she did not commit involuntary manslaughter.”
What Happens Next
Gutierrez-Reed has not publicly commented on her release.
Rust was released on May 2 nearly four years after the fatal shooting. The involuntary manslaughter charges against Baldwin were dismissed with prejudice last year.
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