Murder trial begins in death of Naval Academy mom hit by stray bullet in Annapolis

BALTIMORE -- A murder trial is set to begin Monday in Anne Arundel County for the man accused in the shooting death of a U.S. Naval Academy midshipman's mother last year. 

Michelle Cummings was struck and killed by a stray bullet while she was sitting outside a hotel in June 2021. The 57-year-old woman was in Annapolis from Texas for her son's induction into the U.S. Naval Academy.

Angelo Harrod, a 31-year-old Annapolis man, was taken into custody shortly after and charged two weeks later. He is charged with first and second-degree murder, along with attempted murder charges for the victims he was aiming for. 

Police believe one bullet missed its intended targets—two people in an SUV—and went through a wooded area—hitting Michelle as she sat on the patio of the Graduate Hotel.

At the time of his arrest, Harrod had eight previous criminal convictions and three pending cases. Prosecutors said he cut off his ankle bracelet in May and was wanted when he fatally shot Cummings.