Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer of the movie ‘Rust’ who was responsible for the firearms on the set, is now facing an additional charge of tampering with evidence in connection with the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
Gutierrez-Reed was already charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter for allegedly handing actor Alec Baldwin a loaded gun that he fired at Hutchins and director Joel Souza on October 21.
According to a criminal complaint filed by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday, Gutierrez-Reed removed ammunition from the set after the shooting and hid it in her car. She also allegedly instructed another crew member to do the same.
The complaint states that Gutierrez-Reed’s actions hindered the investigation and prevented law enforcement from obtaining a complete inventory of the ammunition used on the set.
Gutierrez-Reed’s attorney, Jason Bowles, said in a statement that his client did not tamper with any evidence and cooperated fully with the authorities. He said that Gutierrez-Reed was trying to secure the ammunition for safety reasons and that she informed the sheriff’s office about it.
‘Hannah did not hide anything from law enforcement,’ Bowles said. ‘She did not destroy anything. She did not alter anything.’
Bowles also said that Gutierrez-Reed was not aware that live rounds were on the set and that she never loaded the gun that Baldwin fired. He blamed other crew members for mishandling the firearms and ammunition.
‘Hannah is devastated by this tragedy and she is committed to finding out the truth about what happened,’ Bowles said.
Gutierrez-Reed is scheduled to appear in court on December 29. She faces up to nine years in prison if convicted of all charges.
