U.S. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) in 2009. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Following the death of a United States Postal Service mail carrier in Maryland, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) is asking questions about delivery after dark.

Tyson Jerome Barnette, a six-year veteran from Upper Marlboro, was shot and killed Saturday evening while delivering mail in Landover, Md. The USPS is offering a $100,000 reward for information about his killer or killers.

“I understand the financial challenges that USPS faces because of congressional failure to move a bill. I also very much appreciate USPS’s determination to deliver mail in a timely fashion, especially during winter months, when darkness comes much earlier in the day,” Norton said in a letter to Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe. “However, I do not recall delivery after dark being as frequent in prior years.”

She asked Donahoe several questions, seeking reasons why mail is delivered after dark and if its necessary. Norton also asked, “What changes, if any, are being considered to reduce the risk to the lives and safety of letter carriers?”

Norton requests an answer within 30 days.