Rust prosecutors allege armourer hid cocaine to avoid prosecution after fatal on-set shooting

Prosecutors said a witness could testify that Hannah Gutierrez Reed transferred a ‘small bag of cocaine’ to them following the fatal shooting

Prosecutors did not identify the witness, saying they will be ‘blacklisted from the film industry’ for coming forward

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Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armourer on the set of Alec Baldwin’s film Rust, where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot in October 2021. Photo: Twitter

Published: 5:19am, 1 Jul 2023Updated: 5:57am, 1 Jul 2023

Prosecutors in New Mexico have alleged that armourer Hannah Gutierrez Reed passed cocaine to someone else to avoid scrutiny of her handling of weapons on the Rust film set where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed.

In a new filing in New Mexico’s 1st Judicial District Court, prosecutors said a witness could testify that Gutierrez Reed transferred a “small bag of cocaine” to them following the fatal shooting of Hutchins in October 2021.

Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was on the cusp of reaching a new level of recognition in a male-dominated field.

Alec Baldwin on the New Mexico Rust set immediately following the shooting of Halyna Hutchins and Joel Souza on October 21, 2021. Photo: Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office / TNS

The prosecutors allege the armourer did so to avoid prosecution and prevent police from obtaining evidence that could determine her handling of firearms and the circumstances of the accidental shooting.

Prosecutors did not identify the witness, saying they will be “blacklisted from the film industry” for coming forward.

The allegation is the latest development in the newly appointed prosecutors’ attempts to bring charges in the Rust case. Gutierrez Reed is the sole remaining defendant after charges against actor Alec Baldwin were dropped.

Earlier this month, the prosecutors charged the armourer with evidence tampering for allegedly passing drugs to someone else on the day of the shooting – without revealing more details.