Defendant Claims Bus Shooting Intended to Intimidate, Not Harm

A Baltimore City jury heard closing arguments on July 16 in the case of Antonio Nance, a 43-year-old man who is facing serious charges after a shooting incident on a Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) bus.

Nance, who opted to represent himself after parting ways with his defense attorney, is charged with attempted first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault, and several gun-related offenses. The incident occurred on August 12, 2025, on the 2400 block of W. Franklin Street, where Nance allegedly shot at a fellow passenger, who fortunately was not injured.

During the trial, a detective from the Baltimore Police Department testified that Nance admitted to discarding the firearm into a gutter following the shooting, though law enforcement was unable to retrieve the weapon.

While Nance represented himself, he questioned the detective regarding the nature of the evidence, specifically whether it consisted of bullet fragments or shell casings. The detective clarified multiple times that the recovered items were indeed bullet fragments. Nance contended that the gun was loaded with blanks, a claim the detective refuted, asserting it was loaded with live ammunition.

After the prosecution rested its case, Judge Jeffrey M. Geller dismissed the charge of possession of a firearm after a felony conviction, citing insufficient evidence.

In his closing arguments, the prosecutor emphasized that physical evidence indicated the presence of bullets rather than blanks. The prosecutor also noted that Nance had acknowledged during police questioning that he could have avoided the confrontation altogether.

Nance argued to the jury that he felt threatened by the victim, whom he believed was armed. He claimed that he pulled out a toy gun belonging to his son with the intention of scaring the victim rather than causing harm. He pointed out that the victim did not sustain any injuries and even told police at the scene that “nothing happened.”

In rebuttal, the prosecutor questioned Nance's decision to discard the gun if it was merely a toy and argued that Nance's own statements indicated he recognized he could have handled the situation differently.

The jury has since begun deliberations on the case.

Reported by HarborBeat based on Baltimore Witness (source).