Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Michael A. DiPietro sentenced the Pimlico Race Course shooter to one year of unsupervised probation before judgment on Sept. 25 after the defendant pleaded guilty to discharging a firearm in Baltimore City.
Bernard Cunningham, 45, was also charged with wearing a handgun under the influence for allegedly firing a gun near the famous racetrack on May 17. In exchange for his guilty plea, the prosecution agreed to drop his handgun charge.
The incident occurred approximately 15 minutes before the 150th Preakness Stakes were scheduled to start around 7 p.m. at the Pimlico Race Course. Police responded to reports of gunfire on the 5600 block of Key Glen Road in Northwest Baltimore.
Officers who located Cunningham reported his breath smelled of alcohol. He was also carrying a Yeti rambler metal drinking bottle that appeared to contain alcohol residue.
Defense attorney Martin E. Cohen had requested probation before judgment, noting Cunningham’s consistent employment at an HVAC contracting company and a relatively clean criminal record.
