Indianapolis man pleads guilty to killing mail carrier

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - An Indianapolis man has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for fatally shooting a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Tony Cushingberry, 23, entered the plea in the April 27, 2020, slaying of carrier Angela Summers, 45, in Indianapolis, prosecutors said.

Cushingberry was upset about the lack of mail delivery to his home because of an aggressive dog, court documents said. Cushingberry pursued Summers onto a neighbor's porch, causing Summers to reach for her can of defensive spray, and spray Cushingberry. Cushingberry took out a handgun from his waistband and shot Summers in the chest, documents said. Summers collapsed on the porch and was pronounced dead at a hospital.

'œLetter carrier Summers was a dedicated public servant simply doing her job when she was senselessly murdered,'ť U.S. Attorney Zachary Myers said.

'œWe hope that this case's resolution will serve as a deterrent to those criminal actors who threaten the fundamental right of a safe work environment for our nation's postal employees,'ť USPS Inspector-in-Charge Rodney Hopkins said in a news release.

Cushingberry faces a possible maximum sentence of life in federal prison when he is sentenced at an undetermined date.