Norman Ransom, 44, was acquitted on May 18 on multiple firearm and assault charges after prosecutors dropped an attempted first-degree murder charge, according to court records.
Ransom was initially charged with attempted first-degree murder, first-degree assault, reckless endangerment, and multiple firearm-related offenses for allegedly shooting at a group of women outside his Garrett Avenue residence on Oct. 26, 2025.
Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Charles H.Henry Dorsey III presided over the bench trial after Ransom opted to proceed before the court.
Testimony began May 15 after the court denied a defense request for postponement.
An officer testified he responded to a ShotSpotter notification on the 2600 block of Garrett Avenue, where several women identified Ransom as the alleged shooter.
Body-worn camera footage presented during proceedings reportedly showed the women identifying Ransom at the scene. Officers later pursued Ransom through a nearby alley before apprehending him.
Defense attorney Jerry Prince challenged the state’s evidence during cross-examination, arguing that no officer observed Ransom holding or discarding a firearm.
Additional body-worn camera footage introduced by the defense showed the women later retracting their identifications and declining to provide identifying information to police, testimony indicated.
Prince also argued police did not recover a weapon from Ransom and maintained his client fled after a gunshot occurred inside his home, following a prior burglary and threatening anonymous calls.
In response, prosecutors argued officers had probable cause to arrest Ransom based on witness identifications, the ShotSpotter alert, and helicopter footage that allegedly showed him fleeing the area.
Court records show prosecutors entered a nolle prosequi–will not prosecute– on the attempted first-degree murder charge on May 18, dismissing it.
Ransom was found not guilty on the remaining charges, including first-degree assault, firearm use during a felony violent crime, reckless endangerment, handgun possession offenses, ammunition violations, and additional firearm possession charges.
The case is closed.
