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Angelo Harrod was sentenced on Wednesday, March 1 after being convicted of the murder of 57-year-old Michelle Cummings, who was visiting her son Trey, a member of the Navy football team, for induction day on June 29, 2021.
“What was supposed to be a celebratory time turned into tragedy for Mrs. Cummings’ family that summer evening," State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess said in a statement.
“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.
“The Annapolis Police Department and my Office worked tirelessly to prosecute this defendant."
Harrod was found guilty of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder following a two-week trial in December 2022.
According to investigators, Cummings was on the patio of the Graduate Hotel celebrating with family and friends when she was struck by a stray bullet to her chest.
Witnesses said Cummings fell to the ground, later succumbing to her injuries.
After the shooting, a GoFundMe was created to help raise funds for unexpected costs for the Cummings family, topping more than $148,000 in donations.
Harrod was later identified as the suspect through DNA, phone records, and surveillance.
Investigators determined that Harrod fired several shots at a couple who was parked on Pleasant Street after going on a date, with one of the bullets passing through a wooded area into the patio of the hotel, fatally striking Cummings.
The man and the woman inside the vehicle were not struck by gunfire but were only narrowly missed by "inches" according to the State's Attorney's Office.
Harrod was also sentenced to consecutive life sentences for the attempted murders of the couple.
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