An Indianapolis man has been charged in the killing of a U.S. postal carrier after he allegedly confronted her about mail not being delivered to his home, The Indy Star reported.
The Indianapolis Police Department arrested Tony Cushingberry-Mays, 21, on Wednesday in connection with the fatal shooting of postal worker Angela Summers, 45.
He has been charged with second-degree murder, assaulting a federal employee and discharging a firearm during a crime, according to court documents filed by U.S. Attorney Josh Minkler’s office.
The criminal complaint states that mail delivery had been suspended to Cushingberry-Mays’s home due to a dog.
Around 4 p.m. on Monday, Summers bypassed the home without dropping off the mail. Cushingberry-Mays allegedly confronted her on his neighbor’s front porch and demanded his mail.
Summers sprayed Cushingberry-Mays with mace during the altercation, according to authorities. He pulled a handgun out of the right side of his waistband and fired one shot.
Cushingberry-Mays said the spray had caused him discomfort because he has asthma, according to the affidavit from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service obtained by The New York Times. He said he had never spoken to Summers and only wanted to scare her, not kill her.
Summers was taken to a local hospital, where she died, the police said.
The Hill has reached out to Minkler’s office for more information.
Paul Toms, the president of the National Association of Letter Carriers’s (NALC) Indianapolis branch, told local station Fox 59 that the union believes the suspect may have been upset over not receiving his stimulus check during the mail delivery.
“The mail had been curtailed, from what I was told very recently,” Toms said. “On April 12 or 13, the curtailment of mail letter was sent to them.”
Summers had reportedly left several notes urging owners to keep the dog away from her during deliveries.
“Yes, there was a history on this for quite a while, as I understand it,” Toms said. “Dog letters had been sent. That’s a form to the patron when a dog is a nuisance or a danger or vicious. Three dog letters, one to warn them, a second one [with] a second warning, and then a curtailment of mail. That’s what they had proceeded to [do] there.”
Just two days before she was killed, Summers reportedly wrote on her Facebook that she was concerned about her route.
“This dog is a nasty devil that I’ve actually had to spray — twice!” Summers wrote without indicating where the house was located.
Summers began her career with the Postal Service less than two years ago, according to a statement from NALC President Fredric Rolando.
“She had her whole life ahead of her. She was dedicated to her customers as a letter carrier, and to her co-workers as a union representative. She served them both well,” he said. “The senseless nature of her death breaks our hearts. We send our thoughts and prayers to Angela’s daughter, the rest of her family, friends, coworkers, and loved ones.”