Indianapolis mother of 5 gunned down on front doorstep

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - A mother of five was gunned down on her front doorstep early Monday, shocking her family and neighbors in a typically quiet and low-crime area of Indianapolis.

Police said they had no suspects in the killing of Nerva Singleton, police Michael Jefferson said. Singleton, 40, was returning to her home on the city's northwest side when she was shot, according to witnesses. She was pronounced dead at the scene at 3:45 a.m.

Four of Singleton's children were home at the time, Jefferson said. He said witnesses inside the home, including adults and kids, heard multiple gunshots, looked out the window and saw what they believed was a light-colored car being driven away. They opened the door and found Singleton lying on the front steps

"It comes as a shock to us anytime somebody gets shot like that," Jefferson said. "Right now, we've got no suspects. We don't have anything right now other than witnesses inside hearing the shots, some of those are kids. That's always a tough situation."

Her oldest daughter, 24-year-old Jana Singleton, said she last saw her mother alive at Sunday night's dinner.

"Someone just plainly came and shot my mother down in cold blood, in front of the house where all the children could see. We watched our mother pass away this morning," said Jana Singleton, who is pregnant with what would have been her mother's second grandchild.

Neighbors were stunned when they learned what had happened. Police said the neighborhood is not a high-crime area.

"This is a very wonderful neighborhood," neighbor Gary Johnson said. "Lots of kids playing. Very quiet, hardworking people."