Judge Denies Bail for Man Accused of Shooting at Women on Garrett Avenue

Norman Ransom walked into Baltimore City Circuit Court on April 3 facing charges that could reshape the rest of his life. He left in handcuffs, without bail.

Judge Kendra Y. Ausby ordered the 44-year-old held without bond while prosecutors prepare for trial on charges of attempted murder, assault, reckless endangerment, and multiple firearms violations. The charges stem from an Oct. 26, 2025, incident on the 2600 block of Garrett Avenue, where prosecutors say Ransom fired a weapon at a group of women outside his home as they tried to leave.

The case against Ransom rests on two pillars. Officers arrived after a ShotSpotter activation and found women who identified Ransom as the shooter. Then the state presented DNA evidence it says links a recovered firearm directly to him. That combination, prosecutors argued, was compounded by the fact that Ransom is legally prohibited from possessing any firearm at all due to prior convictions.

The defense pushed back, urging the court to consider home detention or release and describing the underlying facts as "very shaky." Defense attorneys questioned whether Ransom actually had possession of the weapon at the time of the incident. Judge Ausby sided with the state.

The ruling reflects a pattern that has reshaped Baltimore's pretrial landscape. Since Baltimore and Maryland's pretrial services shifted practices following 2017 bail reform changes, the rate of outright bail denials has climbed sharply, with roughly two-thirds of initial appearances in Baltimore now ending without bail, an increase of approximately 300 percent compared to pre-reform levels, according to an analysis by Baltimore Beat and the Garrison Project. For defendants in cases involving violent felony allegations and DNA-linked firearms evidence, detention pending trial has become increasingly common.

The debate over that trend is real and unresolved in Baltimore. For the women on Garrett Avenue who identified Ransom as the shooter, his detention means they face no immediate contact with him while the case moves forward. For defense advocates who work these cases daily, the prolonged wait before trial, sometimes measured in months, raises serious concerns about jail conditions and the burden placed on defendants who have not yet been convicted.

Ransom's case now enters standard felony pretrial proceedings. The court is expected to hear motions addressing the DNA evidence and witness statements before any plea discussions or trial date is set. State's Attorney Ivan Bates' office has made prosecution of illegal firearm possession a stated priority since 2023, securing convictions in more than 2,100 cases involving people who possessed guns while barred by prior felony records.