Bella Roma Pizza Shooter Receives Life Sentence

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During an Oct. 14 sentencing, Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Jeannie J. Hong said that in her 21 years of service, video footage of 22-year-old Cameron Green’s murder was the “most violent” she has ever seen.

Anthony Priester was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, two counts of using a firearm to commit a felony violent crime, possession of a firearm with a felony conviction, having a handgun in a vehicle, and carrying a handgun on his person.

The 30-year-old received a life sentence plus 85 years in prison for murdering Green and wounding another man in a March 2021 shooting on the 1100 block of Washington Boulevard.

The obscenity and brutality of the footage as well as the defendant’s prior criminal record, contributed to the sentence, Judge Hong said.

The longest victim impact statement came from Green’s mother, who described him as a bright and charismatic young man and loving older brother who brought great memories to his family. “No one will ever fully know all that I feel,” she said. “Cameron was priceless and he mattered.”

Priester’s defense attorney Creston P. Smith said his client maintains his innocence and looks forward to appealing the case.

However, the prosecutor shared that a plethora of evidence presented at trial, including possession of the murder weapon and a subsequent police chase, proved that Priester undeniable guilty. “He orchestrated this entire massacre,” she said. “Each shooter just completely unloaded their magazines.”

Both the prosecutor and Judge Hong referenced the video footage, which showed Priester arriving at the crime scene, where five masked men unloaded dozens of bullets into the vestibule of a pizza shop. Green and the surviving victim were seen having a friendly conversation with the owner. Priester was also seen fleeing the scene.

The prosecutor said that she hopes this life sentence will “deter future abhorrent behavior” in the city of Baltimore.