Grandmother charged after boy shot in accident

Memphis police have charged the grandmother of a 4-year-old boy accidentally shot by his brother at their Frayser home Sunday night.

Diane Nellums, 44, has been charged with child abuse and neglect of a child under 6 years old, police said.

According to police, officers responded to a shooting call shortly before 8 p.m. in the 2600 block of Mirror Avenue.

Officers said someone fired shots into the home but no one was hit by gunfire.

Police were still outside investigating when they heard a gunshot from inside the home.

Nellums, initially identified by police as the boy's mother, carried her grandson outside and told officers that his 3year-old brother was playing with a gun when he dropped it and it discharged. The victim was taken to LeBonheur Children's Hospital where he was in noncritical condition for a gunshot wound to the arm.

Nellums told police that when shots were fired at her home, she grabbed her gun from her lock box and went outside. She fired shots into the ground to scare off suspects. She then put the gun back in the lock box, but forgot to lock it. Police recovered the gun and Nellums was arrested. She will be in court Tuesday on the charge.

This was one of several incidents during a violent Sunday in the city where five people died in three separate homicides, including two murder-suicides.