Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the set of the Western film Rust, was released from prison on Friday after serving 13 months for her role in the 2021 on-set shooting that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. 

Gutierrez-Reed had been convicted of involuntary manslaughter in March 2024 and sentenced the following month to 18 months behind bars—the maximum penalty under New Mexico law.

According to CBS News, Gutierrez-Reed was granted parole on May 17, 2025. She must comply with conditions that include electronic monitoring, a curfew, and either employment or school enrollment through May 23, 2026.

Paroled to Arizona

The State of New Mexico Parole Board directed Gutierrez-Reed to relocate to Arizona and report there immediately. While she will not serve the remaining five months of her sentence in prison, she remains under strict supervision.

The parole certificate outlines several terms Gutierrez-Reed must follow, signaling that although she is out of prison, her punishment is far from over.

A Tragedy That Shook Hollywood

Gutierrez-Reed’s conviction stemmed from the fatal incident on October 21, 2021, when actor Alec Baldwin discharged a revolver during rehearsal, fatally shooting Halyna Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza.

The bullet turned out to be a live round, despite safety protocols requiring only blanks or dummy rounds on set.

Legal experts and Hollywood insiders widely agreed the shooting was preventable. Prosecutors argued that Gutierrez-Reed, as the armorer, bore direct responsibility for the weapons' safety on set.

“We may never know exactly how a live round got on that set, but we do know that Gutierrez-Reed failed in her duty,” prosecutors said during the trial, according to CBS News.

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed Emotional Plea at Sentencing

Despite the guilty verdict, Gutierrez-Reed expressed remorse and asked for leniency at her sentencing hearing.

“Your honor, when I took on Rust, I was young and naive,” she told the judge. “But I took my job as seriously as I knew how to. I beg you, please, don’t give me more time. The jury has found me in part at fault for this horrible tragedy, but that doesn’t make me a monster. That makes me human.”

However, prosecutors noted her lack of contrition throughout the trial and used that as part of their argument for the maximum sentence.

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Alec Baldwin Trial Dismissed

Actor Alec Baldwin also faced an involuntary manslaughter charge in the same shooting. However, during Baldwin’s July 2024 trial, the case took a dramatic turn.

According to CBS News, the judge dismissed the case with prejudice, citing prosecutorial misconduct after Baldwin’s defense team alleged key evidence was withheld.

The dismissal means Baldwin cannot be retried on the same charge, effectively ending the high-profile case against him.

Remembering Halyna Hutchins

Halyna Hutchins, a rising cinematographer and mother, has been memorialized by many in the film industry. Her widower, Matthew Hutchins, reached a civil settlement with Baldwin and others in 2022 but continues to speak publicly about improving safety protocols in film production.

“There is no such thing as a small mistake when you’re handling firearms,” Hutchins said in a CBS News interview. “We owe it to everyone working in the industry to ensure something like this never happens again.”