'Rust' Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed's Attorney Addresses 'Some Untruths,' States The 'Set Would Never Have Been Compromised If Live Ammo Were Not Introduced'
Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed's attorney has released a statement following the fatal shooting on set last week.
Halyna Hutchins, the director of photography, was killed when Alec Baldwin discharged a firearm on set. Director Joel Souza was injured during the incident. Baldwin was reportedly handed the weapon by assistant director Dave Halls and was told it was a "cold gun."
The 24-year-old armorer had reportedly set up the gun Baldwin fired and two other firearms, according to an affidavit from the Sante Fe County Sheriff's Office.
Gutierrez-Reed is "devastated and completely beside herself over the events that transpired," according to a statement issued via her attorney, Jason Bowles, Sky News reported. "Hannah would like to extend her deepest and most sincere condolences to the family and friends of Halyna."
"She was an inspirational woman in film who Hannah looked up to. She also offers her thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery to Joel," the statement continued.
The attorney wrote that his client wanted to "address some untruths" which have "falsely portrayed and slandered" her role in the incident. "Safety is Hannah's number one priority on set. Ultimately this set would never have been compromised if live ammo were not introduced. Hannah has no idea where the live rounds came from," the statement read.
"Hannah and the prop master gained control over the guns and she never witnessed anyone shoot live rounds with these guns and nor would she permit that," Bowles wrote. "They were locked up every night and at lunch and there's no way a single one of them was unaccounted for or being shot by crew members."
- 'Rust' Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed Says She Is 'Not Ready To Speak' About Accidental On Set Shooting 'Yet'
- 'Rust' Armorer's Lawyer Claims She Was 'Framed' In Shooting Death Of Halyna Hutchins As DA Declares She Knows Who Loaded Prop Gun
- Rookie 'Rust' Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed Fears She 'Won’t Work In The Movie Industry Again' After Alec Baldwin's Fatal Shooting
"Hannah still, to this day, has never had an accidental discharge," Bowles said.
As previously reported by OK!, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adam Mendoza appeared on Today on Thursday, October 28, and said Halls and Gutierrez-Reed are "obviously the focus of the investigation," but Baldwin has not been ruled out.
"There’s three people that handled the firearm prior to the death of Miss Hutchins," the sheriff explained. "So those people will be interviewed, are the focus of the investigation, and so nobody’s been cleared as of yet."
Meanwhile, an insider told The Sun, that the armorer "knows that she probably won’t work in the movie industry again."
"This job was the way for her to get out of this town [Bullhead City, Arizona]," the insider added. "[Hannah] is very worried that no one is going to hire after this and she will have to find a new job."
More firearms and ammunition were recovered from the Rust set while authorities were "executing the third search warrant," Santa Fe County Sheriff's Department spokesman Juan Rios told Fox News.
