Grandmother Allegedly Left Boy, 8, in Home to 'Spend Time with Friends' Before Accidental Shooting Death: Police

Mar. 15, 2025

Phillipe’ Woodard; Gracie Patton Mimms.Photo:Spring Hill Funeral Home; Metropolitan Nashville Police DepartmentA Tennessee grandmother was arrested after authorities allege her 8-year-old grandson accidentally fatally shot himself with a loaded gun she knew was easily accessible.Gracie Patton Mimms, 48, has been charged with criminal homicide and aggravated child neglect in connection with the September death of 8-year-old Phillip’e Woodard, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said in apress releaseon Thursday, Oct. 3.The boy was in the care of Mimms on Sept. 14, when the accidental self-inflicted shooting took place inside a Nashville home, according to police. Police allege she left Phillip’e without adult supervision while she left the home to “go spend time with friends,” per the release.Police claimed the boy was left inside a room, where a loaded shotgun was “out and easily accessible,” the release states. The boy was handling the shotgun when it went off, fatally wounding him, police said.According to theMcClatchyNews, authorities said the boy was home with a 10-year-old brother and 16-year-old family friend when the shooting occurred.Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’sfree True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.Prior to her Oct. 2 arrest, Mimms allegedly admitted to investigators that she knew the gun was in the bedroom where the children were staying but believed it was unloaded, local news outletsWSMVandWKRNreport, citing an affidavit.Online jail records show Mimms is being held on a $150,000 bond. It’s unclear if she has entered a plea to the charges and PEOPLE couldn’t immediately identify an attorney who could speak on her behalf.For more information on safe firearm storage and the most effective ways to protect children from unsecured firearms, visitBeSMARTforkids.org.

Phillipe’ Woodard; Gracie Patton Mimms.Photo:Spring Hill Funeral Home; Metropolitan Nashville Police Department

Spring Hill Funeral Home; Metropolitan Nashville Police Department

A Tennessee grandmother was arrested after authorities allege her 8-year-old grandson accidentally fatally shot himself with a loaded gun she knew was easily accessible.Gracie Patton Mimms, 48, has been charged with criminal homicide and aggravated child neglect in connection with the September death of 8-year-old Phillip’e Woodard, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said in apress releaseon Thursday, Oct. 3.The boy was in the care of Mimms on Sept. 14, when the accidental self-inflicted shooting took place inside a Nashville home, according to police. Police allege she left Phillip’e without adult supervision while she left the home to “go spend time with friends,” per the release.Police claimed the boy was left inside a room, where a loaded shotgun was “out and easily accessible,” the release states. The boy was handling the shotgun when it went off, fatally wounding him, police said.According to theMcClatchyNews, authorities said the boy was home with a 10-year-old brother and 16-year-old family friend when the shooting occurred.Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’sfree True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.Prior to her Oct. 2 arrest, Mimms allegedly admitted to investigators that she knew the gun was in the bedroom where the children were staying but believed it was unloaded, local news outletsWSMVandWKRNreport, citing an affidavit.Online jail records show Mimms is being held on a $150,000 bond. It’s unclear if she has entered a plea to the charges and PEOPLE couldn’t immediately identify an attorney who could speak on her behalf.For more information on safe firearm storage and the most effective ways to protect children from unsecured firearms, visitBeSMARTforkids.org.

A Tennessee grandmother was arrested after authorities allege her 8-year-old grandson accidentally fatally shot himself with a loaded gun she knew was easily accessible.

Gracie Patton Mimms, 48, has been charged with criminal homicide and aggravated child neglect in connection with the September death of 8-year-old Phillip’e Woodard, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said in apress releaseon Thursday, Oct. 3.

The boy was in the care of Mimms on Sept. 14, when the accidental self-inflicted shooting took place inside a Nashville home, according to police. Police allege she left Phillip’e without adult supervision while she left the home to “go spend time with friends,” per the release.

Police claimed the boy was left inside a room, where a loaded shotgun was “out and easily accessible,” the release states. The boy was handling the shotgun when it went off, fatally wounding him, police said.

According to theMcClatchyNews, authorities said the boy was home with a 10-year-old brother and 16-year-old family friend when the shooting occurred.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’sfree True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

Prior to her Oct. 2 arrest, Mimms allegedly admitted to investigators that she knew the gun was in the bedroom where the children were staying but believed it was unloaded, local news outletsWSMVandWKRNreport, citing an affidavit.

Online jail records show Mimms is being held on a $150,000 bond. It’s unclear if she has entered a plea to the charges and PEOPLE couldn’t immediately identify an attorney who could speak on her behalf.

For more information on safe firearm storage and the most effective ways to protect children from unsecured firearms, visitBeSMARTforkids.org.

source: people.com