‘Rust’ armorer pleads guilty in Santa Fe gun possession case

SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) — After a jury found her guilty of involuntary manslaughter for her role in the fatal “Rust” movie set shooting, film armorer Hannah Gutierrez has pleaded guilty to weapons charges in another case.

Gutierrez is in the midst of serving an 18-month sentence tied to the fatal shooting that killed a film cinematographer.

Days before that shooting, Gutierrez now admits she illegally brought a gun into a bar and then made a video about how she did it.

“The defendant took a video of herself in the restroom of the liquor establishment where she explained how she concealed the firearm to get it past the establishment security. The state obtained the video as the defendant consented to the extraction of her cell phone in an unrelated case,” said Kari Morrissey.

Wearing a brown prison jumpsuit and handcuffs in court on Monday, Gutierrez pleaded guilty to a single count of unlawfully carrying a gun into an alcohol-serving business.

Gutierrez became nationally known after the 2021 Rust movie set shooting. She was in charge of weapons on the film set where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was eventually shot and killed when a prop gun was loaded with a real bullet.

Story continues below

• News: Parent raising concerns about ‘lock box’ cell phone policy at APS middle school
• Balloon Fiesta: Why is Albuquerque the perfect place to hold the Balloon Fiesta?
• Balloon Fiesta: A look at Balloon Fiesta through the decades: The 1980s
• Trending: Former APS bus worker accused of child abuse

Jurors convicted Gutierrez of involuntary manslaughter, and she’s now serving 18 months in prison for that case.

Gutierrez waived her right to a trial on the second gun charge admitting to bringing a gun into the matador bar just a few days before the rust set shooting.

“Very rarely charged by the district attorney in Santa Fe. I think it was only charged here because of the nature of the case and because the state wanted to pin some more charges on Ms. Gutierrez,” stated Defense Attorney Jason Bowles.

Judge Glenn Ellington sentenced Gutierrez to 18 months of supervised probation for this new case. Gutierrez offered a short apology to the court, and she also thanked the judge for her sentence

Gutierrez’s new probation sentence will run at the same time as the sentence she’s already received for the rust shooting.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos.