Prosecutors in the “Rust” shooting case have alleged on-set armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was hungover when a live bullet was loaded into the gun used in the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, TMZ reports.
The prosecutors claim they have also rounded up several witnesses who will testify Gutierrez-Reed was a partier during her time in New Mexico, according to TMZ. The Santa Fe District Attorney says witnesses will claim she “was drinking heavily and smoking marijuana in the evenings during the shooting of Rust,” the outlet reported Wednesday, citing court documents.
Prosecutors allege Gutierrez-Reed put a live round “into a gun that she knew was going to be used at some point by an actor while filming a shooting scene with other actors and crew members,” the documents reportedly say.
Gutierrez-Reed’s lawyer, Jason Bowles, has already pushed back against the allegations, according to TMZ. “The prosecution has so mishandled this case and the case is so weak that they are now resorting to character assassination tactics to further taint the jury pool,” he told the outlet.
“This investigation and prosecution has not been about seeking Justice; for them it’s been about finding a convenient scapegoat,” Bowles reportedly added. (RELATED: ‘This Is Super Unsafe’: Reports Of Negligence On Set Of ‘Rust’ Before Fatal Shooting)
Bowles previously suggested to TMZ that his client was doing her best on the job but was stretched too thin due to restricted finances on the allegedly low-budget movie. Bowles allegedly shifted blame to Assistant Director Dave Halls, who was supposed to warn Gutierrez-Reed if Alec Baldwin was going to handle the gun but failed to do so, according to TMZ.
Involuntary manslaughter charges laid against Baldwin after the fatal shooting were dropped in April.