Saam Rajaei was a teenager when he picked up what he believed to be an unloaded revolver during a gathering of friends at a Delray Beach home. The weapon was not empty. One pull of the trigger killed James Cartigiano, his high school classmate who had five days left to live before succumbing to his injuries.
Background
Both Rajaei and Cartigiano were students at Olympic Heights High School in Palm Beach County when the violence erupted on Sawpine Drive in January 2016. According to court documents, a group of teenagers had gathered at the residence that night and were handling the revolver they believed to be unloaded—a practice commonly referred to as "dry firing," where shooters cycle the trigger mechanism without ammunition to improve technique or simply out of curiosity.
The weapon was loaded. At 11:10 p.m., Rajaei made a frantic call to 911.
"I didn't mean for this to happen," Rajaei told the dispatcher, audio of which was later reported by WPBF.
In the background of that emergency call, another friend is heard asking what had occurred. The defendant replied aloud: "He tried to get the gun… I put my finger on the trigger accidentally and shot him."
The Investigation
When deputies and paramedics arrived at the scene, they found Cartigiano unresponsive on the kitchen floor with a single gunshot wound to the head. He was rushed to Delray Medical Center and taken into surgery, but his injuries proved fatal—he died five days later.
Rajaei initially told investigators that he and Cartigiano struggled for control of the weapon before it discharged. The two other teenagers present at the gathering were not in the room when the shot rang out. In a subsequent interview, however, Rajaei changed his account, denying any struggle and insisting he only picked up the gun and fired accidentally.
"I put my finger on the trigger accidentally and shot him," Rajaei told one of the other friends present that night.
The Charges
In May, a Palm Beach County jury convicted Rajaei of one count of manslaughter over Cartigiano's death. At the time of the shooting, Rajaei was 17 years old; he was 28 at the time of sentencing.
On Friday, 15th Circuit Court Judge Sherri Collins sentenced Rajaei to 124 and a half months—more than 10 years—in prison for the killing of his high school friend.
Key Takeaways
- James Cartigiano was 16 years old when he died from a gunshot wound to the head at a Delray Beach home in January 2016
- Saam Rajaei, also then a teenager, called 911 immediately after the shooting: "I didn't mean for this to happen"
- The shooting occurred while a group of friends believed they were "dry firing" an unloaded revolver
- Rajaei was sentenced to more than 10 years in prison after being convicted of manslaughter by a Palm Beach County jury
What's Next
Rajaei will begin serving his sentence at a Florida Department of Corrections facility. The case has been cited as a cautionary tale about the dangers of mishandling firearms, even in seemingly controlled settings among friends.
The Cartigiano family has not publicly commented on the sentencing.