The woman in charge of weapons on the set of “Rust” is speaking out through an attorney for the first time since the fatal shooting that took the life of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
In a statement from her lawyer early Friday, armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, 24, says she’s been misrepresented amid the ongoing investigation and she does not know how the live bullet that killed Hutchins got on set.
“She would like to address some untruths that have been told to the media, which have falsely portrayed her and slandered her,” the statement from attorney Jason Bowles read. “Safety is Hannah’s number one priority on set. Ultimately this set would never have been compromised if live ammo were not introduced. Hannah has no idea where the live rounds came from.”
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That comes after Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza told TODAY’s Savannah Guthrie on Thursday that Gutierrez-Reed, the film’s assistant director Dave Hall and actor Alec Baldwin are the focus of the investigation.
Gutierrez-Reed told investigators earlier that “no live ammo is ever kept on set,” according to the search warrant affidavit last week. When asked if that claim was accurate, Mendoza replied, “No, obviously it isn't. That was a live round that struck and killed Ms. Hutchins, so that's not an accurate statement as far as I'm concerned.”
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Gutierrez-Reed’s attorney said she actually rallied for safety on the set before a gun given to Baldwin unexpectedly discharged last week, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.
“She fought for training, days to maintain weapons, and proper time to prepare for gunfire but ultimately was overruled by production and her department," he noted. "The whole production set became unsafe due to various factors, including lack of safety meetings.”
The production company said in a statement on Oct. 22 that the "safety of our cast and crew is the top priority of Rust Productions and everyone associated with the company. Though we were not made aware of any official complaints concerning weapon or prop safety on set, we will be conducting an internal review of our procedures while production is shut down."
The statement Gutierrez-Reed’s lawyer issued also includes a message from her about the victims of the shooting.
“Hannah would like to extend her deepest and most sincere condolences to the family and friends of Halyna,” it read. “She was an inspirational woman in film who Hannah looked up to. She also offers her thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery to Joel. Hannah is devastated and completely beside herself over the events that have transpired.”
When Mendoza spoke to TODAY, he noted that "nobody’s been cleared as of yet" of wrongdoing in the investigation, and that includes, Baldwin, who could also be liable as one of the film's producers.
Santa Fe County District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies confirmed that, telling NBC's Miguel Almaguer, “There is precedent in New Mexico for going after companies criminally when there were huge lapses in safety standards. So yes, it could happen.”