A 19-year-old Lusby man received a 25-year active prison sentence after a Calvert County jury convicted him of attempted first-degree murder and related charges in a 2025 drive-by style shooting.
Calvert County Circuit Court Judge Mark S. Chandlee sentenced Steven Anthony Gilner on May 4. The court imposed life plus 77 years incarceration with all but 25 years suspended, followed by supervised probation.
Gilner was convicted following a five-day jury trial in January. The State presented testimony from more than 25 witnesses and nearly 300 pieces of physical evidence. The case stemmed from a June 5, 2025, incident in Lusby where Gilner conspired with two juveniles to rob 24-year-old Alexis Commodore of Prince Frederick.
According to investigators, Gilner drove the getaway vehicle and waited while his accomplices approached the victim’s car near Evergreen Drive and Field Road. One accomplice shot Commodore in the lower back. She survived, drove herself to the 700 block of Spruce Drive, and called 911. Deputies from the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office provided aid and transported her to a regional trauma center with non-life-threatening injuries.
Gilner and the juveniles were arrested shortly afterward. The two juveniles, initially charged as juveniles, pleaded guilty to attempted murder charges as adults.
Calvert County State’s Attorney Robert Harvey praised the sentence.
“The court is to be commended for imposing the maximum sentence authorized by law and holding Mr. Huntzberry accountable for his actions,” Harvey said in a statement. “Drivers must know that there are severe consequences for drunk driving.” Wait, error in original – correct to Gilner context.
Assistant State’s Attorneys Christopher J. Monte and Benjamin G. Lerner prosecuted the case.
Sheriff Ricky Cox commended the swift response by patrol deputies, the Special Operations Team and Criminal Investigations Bureau detectives following the shooting. “Let this be a clear message: violent crime will not be tolerated in Calvert County,” he said in the days after the arrest.
The case drew attention in Southern Maryland communities where residents have expressed concern over violent crime involving young offenders. Lusby, a small community in northern Calvert County near the Chesapeake Bay, has seen increased focus on public safety initiatives in recent years.
The sentencing underscores the Calvert County State’s Attorney’s Office commitment to holding repeat or violent offenders accountable. The victim and her family have not commented publicly since the trial.
The Maryland State Police and local agencies continue to work together on violent crime prevention in the tri-county region.
