The trial of Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armourer on the set of the film Rust where actor Alec Baldwin fatally shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, has begun in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Gutierrez-Reed has pleaded not guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence. Prosecutors have accused her of negligence in handling guns and ammunition, leading to the death of Ms. Hutchins. They argue that Gutierrez-Reed missed multiple opportunities to ensure safety on the film set and loaded a live round into the gun that killed Ms. Hutchins. Gutierrez-Reed's defense lawyer claims she is being used as a “scapegoat” and that just because a tragedy occurred does not mean a crime was committed.

The trial, which started with jury selection, is the first in the fatal shooting that occurred on the ranch outside Santa Fe, New Mexico. Prosecutors are seeking more accountability for the tragic incident that took place in October 2021. Alec Baldwin, who has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter, claims he did not pull the trigger and is not responsible for Ms. Hutchins's death. The director of the movie, Joel Souza, was also injured by the same bullet that killed Ms. Hutchins. The trial of Gutierrez-Reed will provide more insight into the events that led to the fatal shooting and how live ammunition ended up on the set of the movie Rust.