Alec Baldwin case: Weapons expert accused of being “hungover” on set

Prosecutors have made allegations against Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the weapons supervisor on the film set where Alec Baldwin tragically shot and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. 

According to prosecutors, Gutierrez-Reed had been drinking and smoking marijuana in the evenings during the filming of ‘Rust’, likely leaving her hungover when she loaded a live bullet into the actor’s revolver. 

These claims emerged in response to a recent motion filed by Gutierrez-Reed’s attorneys, seeking to dismiss her involuntary manslaughter charge. 

Prosecutors argue that her alleged history of reckless conduct demands accountability, serving the public interest.

Decision on Gutierrez-Reed’s charges awaited

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed’s lawyer, Jason Bowles, criticised the handling of the case, highlighting its weak foundation. 

He told The Associated Press, “The case is so weak that they now have chosen to resort to character assassination claims about Hannah. The prosecution has abandoned the idea of doing justice and getting to the actual truth apparently”. 

These remarks come as Gutierrez-Reed awaits a preliminary hearing scheduled for August, during which a judge will determine if there is sufficient probable cause for the charges to proceed.

In the response, the prosecutors also noted that they expected to decide within the next 60 days whether to recharge Baldwin, depending on the results of an analysis of the gun and its broken sear. The items in question have been sent to the state’s independent expert for further testing.

The involuntary manslaughter charge against Baldwin, who was also a producer on the film, was initially dismissed in April due to new evidence and the need for additional investigation.

Gutierrez-Reed’s defence team had previously argued in their motion that the prosecution was marred by improper political motives and accused Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies and the initial special prosecutor, Andrea Reeb, of exploiting the accident to further their personal interests. 

The defence also claimed that the gun had been irreparably damaged by FBI testing before they could examine it, constituting evidence destruction and a violation of the court’s discovery rules.