Key Baldwin question: How did ammo get there?

SANTA FE, N.M. — The scheduled trial next week of a movie weapons supervisor in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by Alec Baldwin may hinge on an enduring mystery: How did live ammunition find its way onto the set of a film set where it was expressly prohibited?

Investigators recovered six live rounds of ammunition from a box, a bandolier, a gun belt and other locations on the set of the Western movie “Rust,” including the round that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza.

Special prosecutors say they’ll present “substantial evidence” that movie armorer Hannah Gutierrez-reed unwittingly brought live rounds onto the set when she first began work on the film.

They say that includes photos showing that live rounds were present on the set days before Hutchins was killed. They also plan to present testimony that, months prior to the shooting, Gutierrez-reed had looked for and purchased live .45-caliber ammunition.

“Ms. Gutierrez is not charged with intentional homicide, she is charged with homicide based on negligence,” special prosecutor Kari Morrissey said in a recent court filing. “The tragedy occurred due to a series of negligent acts given that live rounds were on set well before October 21, 2021. Her ongoing negligent acts created numerous opportunities for live rounds to go undetected.”

Gutierrez-reed has pleaded not guilty to the involuntary manslaughter charge.

Her attorneys describe the evidence that she might have unknowingly brought live rounds on set as flimsy, saying it falls far short of standards for prosecution.

Much of the evidence about ammunition on set has not been made public under rules of evidentiary discovery prior to trial.

The proceedings against the armorer hold implications for Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer on “Rust.” He has pleaded not guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter and could face trial later this year.