More insights are being revealed into the tragic shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the New Mexico set of Rust. While it’s been previously revealed that actor Alec Baldwin discharged the weapon after he was handed it by assistant director David Halls, who told Baldwin it did not contain live rounds, we’re now hearing from Hannah Guiterrez Reed, the film’s armorer.
According to Variety, Reed has now spoken out via her lawyers for the first time since the shooting, which also injured director Joel Souza.
Reed’s lawyer Jason Bowles released a statement to the publication, stating she extends her sympathies to the Hutchins’ family, while also defending her own reputation and behavior on set. Reed claims she was hired to work two positions, was denied adequate prep time, and as a result, was scrambling to fulfill the duties of both roles.
The lawyer Robert Gorence is also representing her.
In the statement, Hutchins is described as an “inspirational woman,” and one whom Reed “looked up to.” Reed extended her “deepest and most sincere condolences” to Hutchins’ friends and family. Reed then extended her “thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery” to director Souza.
The armorer was further described as being “devastated and completely beside herself” over the events that took place.
The statement went on to slam the media’s “untruths,” slanders, and false portrayals of Reed, who in that statement said she “has no idea where the live rounds came from.”
The statement went on to say that Reed regularly took safety measures, such as locking up the guns every night. Saying Reed “has never had an accidental discharge,” the statement claimed other firings on set occurred at the hands of the prop master and the stuntman after Reed “informed him his gun was hot with blanks.”
Saying Reed’s requests for training and preparation time was “overruled by production and her department,” the statement claimed “The whole production set became unsafe” due to lack of safety meetings and various other factors not in Reed’s control.
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