The tragic shooting incident on the set of the Western film, “Rust,” that resulted in the death of a cinematographer, was on trial Tuesday, with the defense for Hannah Gutierrez-Reed making some significant points. Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on set, is facing charges of involuntary manslaughter.
The defense made an opening argument apparently pinning the incident on the producers of the film, suggesting that their mistakes were the root cause of the incident. Further, they put forth that the consequential law enforcement investigation was characterized by incompetency.
It seems like the trial will revolve heavily around how much responsibility is to be allocated to various parties involved and offers yet another perspective into the complex and layered factors that led up to the fatal incident.
For those interested in following the detailed progression of this case, the original article provides comprehensive coverage on Law360.