On the evening of May 20, 2024, a burst of gunfire outside a bar in Elmira, New York, shattered the night and ended the life of Norman D. Cherry, a 43-year-old Black / African American male. The incident occurred at approximately 10:52 p.m. outside Gush's Thirsty Bear on East Washington Avenue. When Elmira Police arrived at the scene, they found no victim, as Cherry had already been transported to a local hospital by a personal vehicle.
He was later transferred to Robert Packer Hospital, where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries. An investigation revealed he had been shot six times.
In the days following the shooting, the Elmira Police Department identified Cherry as the victim and launched a homicide investigation. For a time, details about potential suspects were not publicly released as authorities actively pursued leads. The investigation led them to a suspect from out of state.
On June 21, 2024, a superior court warrant was issued for the arrest of Dante M. Baldwin, a 28-year-old male from Springfield, Massachusetts. He was charged with Murder in the Second Degree and two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree. With the assistance of the Springfield, Massachusetts Police Department and the United States Marshals Service, Baldwin was located and taken into custody in the Springfield area on October 8, 2024. He was subsequently extradited to New York and remanded to the Chemung County Jail to await arraignment.
Dante Baldwin's case proceeded to a week-long trial in Chemung County Court. During the trial, Baldwin took the stand in his own defense, claiming that Cherry had attempted to draw a gun on him. However, the jury rejected this claim and returned a guilty verdict on all charges. In December 2025, Baldwin, by then 30 years old, was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for the murder charge, with a concurrent sentence of 10 years for the criminal possession of a weapon charge.
