Naval Academy Mother's Killing Prompts Life Sentence For Annapolis Man: Prosecutor

ANNAPOLIS, MD — The Annapolis man accused of fatally shooting a Naval Academy mother was recently sentenced to life in prison, an Anne Arundel County prosecutor said.

County State's Attorney Anne Colt Leitess said a judge on Friday sentenced Angelo Reno Harrod, 31, to life in prison without parole in the fatal shooting of Michelle Jordan Cummings, 57.

Officials said Harrod hit Cummings with a stray bullet in June 2021 while he was trying to shoot a couple returning from a date. Cummings was from Houston and was visiting Annapolis for her son's induction into the Naval Academy. Her son, Trey, is on the Navy football team.

Harrod also was given a consecutive life sentence for the attempted murder of his two intended targets, Leitess said.

"What was supposed to be a celebratory time turned into tragedy for Mrs. Cummings’ family that summer evening," Leitess said in a press release. "Mrs. Cummings was a proud mother and loving wife who was taken away by senseless gunfire. May this prosecution and sentence show there will be no tolerance for these crimes in our county. I pray that the Cummings family will find peace and closure today."

Court records show the jury on Dec. 13, 2022, found Harrod guilty of one count of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree murder and three counts of related gun offenses.

The jury reached the verdict after just under four hours of deliberation split between two days, WBAL reported.

"The Annapolis Police Department and my office worked tirelessly to prosecute this defendant," Leitess said. "I would like to thank Assistant State’s Attorneys Jason Steinhardt and Carolynn Grammas for successfully prosecuting this case as well as the work by the Annapolis Police Department, and lead Detective Aaron Stein. I want to also thank John Foster, our demonstrative evidence specialist, who assisted in this case."

Judge Pamela Alban presided over the trial.

The Evidence

WBAL said the trial featured "two weeks of testimony, more than 100 exhibits, hours of videos and reams of forensic reports, data analysis and more."

The state's attorney thinks a sweatshirt recovered by police was a major piece of evidence, WTOP reported.

"We got the clothing he was wearing that he's seen on video wearing and it had his DNA on it and had gunshot residue on it," Leitess said, according to WTOP.

Assistant State's Attorneys Jason Steinhardt and Carolynn Grammas called dozens of witnesses to the stand. WJZ reported that one of the intended shooting targets testified during the first week.

She testified that she was dropping her boyfriend off in Annapolis on Pleasant Street when someone called her name and gave a countdown to leave the area, WJZ said.

WJZ reported the witness recalled hearing about seven shots before she could escape.

Prosecutors alleged that Harrod unsuccessfully tried to shoot the witness and her boyfriend three times, WBAL said.

The state's attorney said Harrod was "unleashing a hail of bullets into their car while they cowered inside of it."

WBAL reported that prosecutors told the jury this proves premeditation and that Harrod should still be charged with first-degree murder in Cummings' death, even though she was not the intended target.

The state also said Harrod was linked to the crime with surveillance video and cell phone data, WBAL reported.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The case was tried in the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court.

The Shooting

Cummings was shot on June 29, 2021 around 12:21 a.m. She was sitting on a hotel patio in the unit block of West Street with the parents of another incoming midshipman, police said.

The shots were fired on nearby Pleasant Street. Cummings was not the intended target, officers said, but at least one stray bullet struck her.

Authorities alleged that the suspect was aiming for two uninjured victims. Medics pronounced Cummings dead at the scene, a press release said.

The Annapolis Police Department said officers arrested Harrod on July 14, 2021.

Read the full stories from WBAL, WTOP and WJZ to learn more about the trial.

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