Syracuse, N.Y. — A dishwasher who worked at Sky Armory in Syracuse has pleaded guilty to shooting at a man multiple times after he became agitated while preparing for a gala in the building.
Damian Tatum, 29, of Syracuse, admitted in court Monday that on March 19, 2022 he fired at Jamel Newsome in an attempt to kill him. He also admitted by firing shots he could have killed Daniel Baldwin. Tatum did not recognize Newsome or Baldwin’s names in court Monday.
Tatum also admitted to defacing the firearm he used to shoot three to four shots that day.
Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick said Newsome, the host of the Mastermind Gala Round 2, was the apparent target of the shooting at the event venue at 351 S. Clinton St.
Newsome, who was holding the event, told Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard after the shooting that he, his agent Baldwin and their decorator were finishing decorating in the third-floor ballroom when they heard a commotion in the kitchen and shots rang out.
Tatum came out into the room firing a gun, causing people to run. No one was shot during the incident, but Baldwin tripped and dislocated his knee.
Tatum pleaded guilty to second-degree attempted murder, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
State Supreme Court Justice Gordon Cuffy offered Tatum an eight year prison sentence if he pleaded guilty to all the charges. Prosecutors initially offered a sentence of 15 years.
A psychological evaluation was done on Tatum prior to his guilty plea as a potential mitigator in the case, the judge said. The prosecution concluded through an expert that Tatum had a drug issue, rather than a mental health issues.
Charles Keller, Tatum’s lawyer, stated there were mental health aspects to the case beyond drug use, which the judge said he found to be more persuasive.
Tatum is being held without bail in the Onondaga County Justice Center. He is scheduled to be sentenced by Cuffy on June 20.
Staff…
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