(NewsNation) — The trial for the armorer on the set of the film “Rust” will begin in earnest Thursday after a jury was seated. Hannah Gutierrez-Reed is facing involuntary manslaughter charges after Halyna Hutchins, a cinematographer, was killed by what was thought to be a prop gun.
Alec Baldwin has admitted to holding the gun as it went off in a rehearsal, but claims the bullet fired without him pulling the trigger.
The gun was not supposed to be loaded in the rehearsal, and it’s unclear who put bullets in the chamber. One of the armorer’s responsibilities on a film set is to ensure safety of prop weapons.
Gutierrez-Reed has pleaded not guilty to the charges and maintains she’s not directly to blame for Halyna Hutchins’ death.
Gutierrez-Reed faces up to 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine if convicted of involuntary manslaughter. The evidence tampering charge stems from accusations she handed a small bag of possible narcotics to another crew member after the shooting to avoid detection by law enforcement.
