Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the movie set weapons handler responsible for loading a gun that discharged and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for involuntary manslaughter.

The 26-year-old armorer was found guilty of the involuntary manslaughter charge in March. However, she was acquitted of a second charge related to tampering with evidence stemming from the 2021 shooting incident on the set of the film “Rust.”

The 18-month prison term is the maximum sentence for the offense.

Actor Alec Baldwin, 65, who was holding the gun when it fired, is also facing a manslaughter trial scheduled for July. He has entered a plea of not guilty to the charges.

Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer, who delivered the sentence in a New Mexico court on Monday, characterized Hannah Gutierrez-Reed’s actions as a serious and violent offense committed in a physically violent manner.

“You alone transformed a safe weapon into a deadly weapon,” Judge Sommer addressed the armorer. “If not for you, Ms. Hutchins would still be alive. A husband would have his partner, and a little boy would have his mother.”

Halyna Hutchins, aged 42, was fatally shot after a gun Alec Baldwin was handling during a rehearsal discharged a live round on the film set in New Mexico.

Prosecutors argued that Gutierrez-Reed had failed in her duty to ensure the weapon was loaded only with dummy rounds—imitation bullets used for visual and auditory effects.

“This case underscores continual and unforgivable safety failures that led to the loss of life,” prosecutor Kari T. Morrissey stated during the trial’s closing arguments.

According to prosecutor Kari T. Morrissey, Gutierrez-Reed was described as “negligent,” “careless,” and “thoughtless” for failing to recognize that live bullets had become intermingled with dummy rounds in a box of ammunition on the set. Morrissey emphasized to the jurors that one of those live bullets ended up in the firearm used by Mr. Baldwin.