Gunsmith’s “quiet” request for home firearm granted by judge after threats uncovered

rust Gunsmith Hannah Gutierrez Reed may have a gun at home, a New Mexico judge ruled today.

During the first hearing of the criminal case regarding the fatal shooting of cameraman Halyna Hutchins in October 2021, Judge Mary Marlow Sommer ruled that 25-year-old Reed could have “a firearm against her opposition” as one of the conditions of her release in the event.

The ruling came during Friday’s virtual hearing, as Reed’s attorney Jason Bowles described the threats his client received after the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office released private information about her shortly after the tragedy rust Sentence. Citing a stalker and Reed once having to get a restraining order, Bowles said his client wanted a gun in the house for “self-defense.”

After District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies objected to the request, citing “Hannah’s sloppy handling of firearms” that in part led to Hiutchin’s death, she offered Reed “pepper spray or a bat” as a ‘ an alternative form of protection.

Judge Sommer basically ignored the suggestions and granted the request for a gun, noting that it was only for Reed’s apartment.

Reed did not comment today.

Due to the fact that the gunsmith is not working on the resurrected version of the indie western, the judge ordered Reed not to have contact with other potential witnesses in the case, such as former Rust crew members.

With star/producer Baldwin back and widower Matthew Hutchins as executive producer, Rust will return to Montana this spring.

Alec Baldwin was not involved in today’s relatively brief virtual hearing. On Feb. 23, the multiple Emmy winner jumped into court by pleading not guilty and waiving his right to appear today. Due to his participation in the upcoming reboot rustBaldwin is allowed to communicate with some people on the prosecution’s witness list, such as director Souza — but only in connection with matters related to the film.

After an FBI-assisted investigation by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office was released late last year, Alec Baldwin and Gunsmith Reed were formally charged on January 21 by District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies on two counts of involuntary manslaughter on January 31. October. Hutchins died in 2021 at Bonanza Creek Ranch. rust Director Joel Souza was wounded in this shooting.

Originally, those charges included an enhancement that carried a mandatory sentence of five years if the defendants were convicted. Amid protests and claims by attorneys for both Baldwin and Reed that the charges were “unconstitutional,” the district attorney “dropped” the charges on February 20. up to 18 months in prison and a maximum fine of $5,000.

Baldwin has long insisted he did not pull the trigger of the 1880s wad pistol that killed Hutchins and wounded Souza. While the FBI disagrees with its analysis of what happened on the Bonanza Creek Ranch set, no one has yet been able to determine how live ammunition ended up on the set of the $7 million Rust.

No further trial dates have been set rust still case However, from all indications at today’s hearing, it could be several months before anyone faces Judge Sommer again due to the agendas of lawyers, prosecutors and defendants.