Who is Hannah Gutierrez Reed? 'Rust' armorer was in charge of gun used by Alec Baldwin, as crew members reveal 'unsafe' working conditions

Alec Baldwin has continued to make headlines ever since he accidentally shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust on October 21. Official documents have now revealed that the actor was handed a gun loaded with a "live round" while filming a scene.

As per the legal warrant, the misfired “prop gun” was one of the three weapons armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed placed on a cart outside the set. Meanwhile, assistant director Dave Halls handed the gun to Alec Baldwin, telling him it was “cold” or safe to use, unaware of the live ammunition.

The Boss Baby star then fired the gun, accidentally killing Halyna Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza in the process. The cinematographer was airlifted and rushed to a nearby hospital but proclaimed dead on site. Alec Baldwin was reportedly left distraught by the incident.

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Everything about Hannah Gutierrez Reed

Hannah Gutierrez Reed is a professional armorer and gunsmith. She is the daughter of veteran Hollywood armorer Thell Reed. According to The Sun, she was reportedly trained for the profession from a young age.

She recently worked as an armorer in The Old Way, a film starring Nicholas Cage. The job also marked her first stint as a head armorer in a movie. During an interview, Hannah said she was initially not ready to take up the role, but everything worked in her favor while filming.

Unfortunately, the budding gunsmith was also in charge of the gun that Alec Baldwin fired on the set of Rust. According to her social media activity, she was possibly involved in the project since its early days.

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Crew members of Alec Baldwin’s upcoming film complain about working conditions

In the wake of Alec Baldwin’s shooting incident, several crew members have confessed about “unsafe” working conditions on the set of the film. As reported by Deadline, seven members from the film’s camera unit walked off the set hours before Halyna Hutchins was accidentally killed.

The camera crew reportedly resigned the night before the tragic incident in an attempt to protest the situation. Sources from the set mentioned that crew members were disappointed with the long working hours, low pay, accommodation issues, and lack of COVID-19 safety.

It was also revealed that the production house was already suffering from gun safety concerns. Alec Baldwin’s misfire was the third prop gun mishandling incident that took place on the set of Rust. Two crew members told the Los Angeles Times that there were two prop gun misfires prior to the fatal incident:

“There should have been an investigation into what happened. There were no safety meetings. There was no assurance that it wouldn’t happen again. All they wanted to do was rush, rush, rush.”

Another text message exchange between the production units reviewed by the outlet said:

“We’ve now had three accidental discharges. This is super unsafe.”

It was revealed that Alec Baldwin’s body double had already misfired two shots from a prop gun on October 16 but no safety action was taken. Moreover, after the authorized crew walked off the set, the production reportedly hired non-unionized crew members to look after the filming.

Reports suggest that the unidentified prop master who oversaw the guns used for the film was also a non-unionized member and newly hired to replace the resigned crew. However, Rust Movie Productions has issued an official statement mentioning that they have always prioritized the safety and security of members:

“The safety of our cast and crew is the top priority of Rust Productions and everyone associated with the company. Though we were not made aware of any official complaints concerning weapon or prop safety on set, we will be conducting an internal review of our procedures while production is shut down. We will continue to cooperate with the Santa Fe authorities in their investigation and offer mental health services to the cast and crew during this tragic time.”

An investigation into the incident is currently underway and the scene at Bonanza Creek Ranch is being thoroughly searched.

Officials from the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department have already removed props, ammunition, and Alec Baldwin’s blood stained clothes from the set. Production of the film has also been halted for an indefinite period.