Federal charges filed against suspect accused of murdering USPS letter carrier
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Federal charges have been filed against a suspect accused of shooting and killing a United States Postal Service letter carrier.
Tony Cushingberry-Mays, 21, faces multiple charges in the murder of USPS employee Angela Summers.
He is charged with:
- Murder in the second degree
- Assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers or employees
- Discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence
Cushingberry-Mays is accused of shooting Summers just before 4 p.m. on April 27 in the 400 block of North Denny Street. She was transported to Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital in critical condition. She was declared dead at approximately 5:31 p.m.
Cushingberry-Mays was located and taken into custody on April 28. His arrest was announced by authorities on April 29.
While with his attorney, he admitted to investigators that he shot Summers, according to court documents. Cushingberry-Mays said Summers had not been delivering mail due to an issue with the dog living at the residence.
He said he was on the porch while Summers was delivering mail on the street. He said walked past where he lived without delivering the mail and continued down the street. He said he approached her, asked for the mail and did not receive a response. At this point, he was on the porch of a nearby residence. He said Summers did not respond to his requests for the mail, then she turned around and pepper sprayed him.
That’s when he pulled out his gun and shot Summers, according to what he told investigators.
“He acknowledged the mace was not deadly, but led to discomfort from his asthma,” according to court documents.
He said he had never previously spoken to Summers and that “he did not mean to kill the letter carrier, but wanted to scare her,” according to court documents.
He told investigators he then fled to his aunt’s house.
He is due in court at 1:30 p.m.
News 8 spoke to Paul Toms, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers‘ Indianapolis Local Branch 39 on Tuesday.
“There was an issue with the dogs at that residence, and you give three letters and, on the third one, we curtail the mail,” Toms said.
