A woman was shot and killed on Tuesday in Annapolis after she dropped off her son at the U.S. Naval Academy.
At about 12:21 a.m., police responded to reports of shots being fired at the Graduate Hotel on West Street. Michelle Jordan Cummings, 57, of Houston was found dead at the scene but was not the intended target of the shooting, according to police. Cummings, who is black, was reportedly sitting outside on a patio at the downtown hotel when she was shot. She was struck “more than once,” authorities said.
Cummings’s son is reported to be a football prospect for the academy and arrived at the school ahead of induction day ceremonies, which were scheduled for June 29-30.
“What turned out to be a celebratory occasion for the family, celebrating their son going to one of the best institutions in the United States, turned into a tragic event,” Police Chief Ed Jackson said at a Tuesday press conference.
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Authorities are conducting an “active and fluid investigation” into the incident and will offer anyone who brings a tip leading to an indictment a reward of up to $2,000.
Police say they have leads on a suspect but provided no additional details.
During the press conference, Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley expressed the need to confront growing gun violence in his city and across the country.
“There are no circumstances where this can be tolerated,” Buckley said. “My sympathies go out to the families. We are focused on getting guns off the streets, but it only takes one criminal with a gun for the results to be tragic.”
The Naval Academy also expressed its condolences over the situation, offering counseling services to anyone affected.
“The Naval Academy extends its deepest condolences to the family of the victim from this morning’s shooting, and is providing the necessary counseling and services to those at the Naval Academy affected by this tragedy,” academy spokeswoman Cmdr. Alana Garas told the Capital Gazette in an email.
A GoFundMe was set up on Tuesday by Veranna Phillips, who describes herself as “a Navy Class of 2025 Football mom.” Phillips said Cummings was an organizer and administrator of the Class of 2025 Navy Football Moms Group page. With a goal of raising $70,000, the donations have surpassed more than $63,000. The funds will be used to transport Cummings’s body to her hometown of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and to pay for funeral expenses.
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The Naval Academy and the Annapolis Police Department did not immediately respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment.
