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A grandfather and granddaughter in Tennessee are dead after a pitbull attack on WednesdayOfficers from the Tullahoma Police Department responded to an “apparent mauling by pitbulls” on Dec. 3The victims were identified as James Alexander Smith, 50, and his 3-month-old granddaughter
A grandfather and granddaughter in Tennessee are dead after an apparent pitbull attack on Wednesday.
According to a press release from the office of 14th Judicial District Attorney General Craig Northcott shared by the Tullahoma Police Department, at approximately 3:00 p.m. on Dec. 3, the Coffee County Communications Center received a call regarding “the apparent mauling by pitbulls” of two individuals described at the time as an adult male and an infant.
Neighbor Brian Kirby told Fox 8 News that he got home from work and “saw a woman in the middle of the street screaming.” After asking if she needed help, Kirby told the outlet that the woman ran towards the back of the home, and then he soon heard sirens approaching.
The press release said that the Tullahoma Police Department immediately arrived at the scene and “observed the pitbulls actively mauling the infant.”
The statement issued by Northcott’s office described the scene of the incident as “brutal.”
Stock photo of police car siren lights.
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“The dogs were killed to stop the attack. Regrettably, it was obvious that both victims were deceased,” said the press release.
According to Woociting neighbors, the family owned seven dogs who had reportedly been involved in prior attacks on animals in the neighborhood. As of now, the police have not revealed who the owners are of the dogs involved in the attack.
Kirby alleged to Fox 8 News that the dogs killed his pet cat and that he had intended to make a police report a week prior.
The district attorney’s office, however, said that an investigation is underway to determine the cause of death of the male, later identified as James Alexander Smith, 50, and the infant, identified as his 3-month-old granddaughter.
It is also being investigated “whether the mauling was postmortem, past violent history with these or other dogs in the home, current or past issues related to the children requiring intervention by the Department of Children’s Services and other potential issues that may have contributed to this situation.”
According to the press release, no decision has been made on whether any criminal charges are appropriate at this time.
While the dogs involved in the mauling have been euthanized, other dogs in the home were taken into the possession of Tullahoma Animal Control to determine the appropriate action to be taken with respect to them.
PEOPLE reached out to the Tullahoma Police Department for an update on the investigation. A GoFundMe has been created to help raise funeral and memorial expenses for the victims’ family.
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“Please pray for the family of the victims in this difficult time as well as the first responders as they cope with the trauma from what they witnessed,” Northcott’s statement continued.
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