On the afternoon of February 9, 2024, a burst of gunfire shattered the late afternoon quiet near Mirabito Stadium in Binghamton, New York. When the chaos subsided, 20-year-old Qualyn Terry was found fatally wounded. He had been driving his car on Lewis Street, near Fayette Street, at around 5 p.m. when he was struck by gunfire in what has been described as a drive-by shooting. His vehicle subsequently crashed into a utility pole just a short distance from an entrance to the stadium.
Emergency responders arrived at the scene, but Terry was pronounced dead from his injuries.
In the wake of the shooting, the community mourned the loss of Terry, who was known to his loved ones as 'Rocky.' A memorial of balloons, candles, and photographs was set up on Lewis Street where his life was tragically cut short. Terry was a father to two young daughters, and his older sister, Allana Gordon, organized a fundraiser to help the family with unexpected expenses following his death. Investigators from the Binghamton police department began a months-long inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting, though they have not publicly disclosed a potential motive for the attack.
Nearly a year after the incident, authorities announced significant developments in the case with the arrests of two suspects. In December 2024, 21-year-old Joziah Worthington of Endicott was taken into custody. A Broome County grand jury indicted him on charges of second-degree murder and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon. Following his arraignment, Worthington was held at the county jail. The investigation continued, leading to a second arrest in January 2025. Tayshon Smith, a 20-year-old from Brooklyn, was located and apprehended near Richmond, Virginia, by the U.S. Marshals Service. Smith has also been indicted on a charge of second-degree murder and is awaiting extradition back to New York to face the charges.
