Zachary Ciccantelli, 25, of Rockville was sentenced to 45 years in prison Thursday following his conviction for firing gunshots near where a school bus was dropping off students.
He also was sentenced to serve five years of supervised probation upon his release. Judge Marielsa Bernard recommended that Ciccantelli be admitted to the Patuxent Youthful Offenders Program while incarcerated.
Ciccantelli and co-defendant Callen Baker, 21, of Jefferson, Md., were found guilty in the March 1, 2022 incident in the 700 block of Monroe Street in Rockville near the Fireside Park Apartment complex. According to court records, Ciccantelli fired the gunshots, and Baker provided him with the handgun and drove the getaway vehicle.
Baker was sentenced to 30 years in prison earlier this month.
According to court documents, when Rockville City Police arrived at the scene, they noticed a group of males, who then walked away in different directions. Some of the males told an officer they were there to film a rap music video.
The scene was cleared without incident.
A little later, officers received several calls about hearing gunshots. Officers searched the area and located a loaded black ghost gun handgun with an extended magazine, cell phones, personal items and spent shell casings. Police also obtained footage from the camera that was used to shoot the music video.
Police determined that individuals involved with the rap video were either associated with or validated members of gangs in Montgomery County.
According to court documents, the males involved in the music video were fired upon by a single shooter. Then, several males in the group returned fire as they ran away. More than 20 shell casings were located.
Police executed three no-knock search and seizure warrants and found three ghost guns and ammunition at three separate locations.
As a result, four suspected shooters were arrested.
Police also located a nearby homeowner whose Nest camera captured the shooting as well as a white SUV that was speeding. The vehicle was in front of a school bus. Police obtained the school bus footage from Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS).
Both Ciccantelli and Baker were found guilty of 18 counts of first-degree assault, conspiracy to commit first-degree assault, use of a firearm in commission of a crime of violence and reckless endangerment.
Zachary Ciccantelli
Callen Baker
