James Alexander Smith, Tullahoma, Tennessee grandfather and 3 month old baby mauled to death by family’s seven pit bulls in fatal dog attack.
A Tennessee man and his three-month-old granddaughter have died after they were mauled to death by seven pit bulls inside the family home.
James Alexander Smith, 50, and the baby girl were attacked by the pet dogs at their Tullahoma home on East Warren Street on Wednesday afternoon according to the Coffee County District Attorney’s Office.
The family owned seven dogs, according to neighbors who said the dogs had previously attacked other animals in the neighborhood but never harmed people, WSMV reported.
3 month old baby’s mother seen crying hysterically after fatal dog attack
Police were still trying to determine if Smith and his granddaughter were killed during the dog attack or if they were already dead before the mauling started. The district attorney called it a ‘brutal scene.’
Police said they were called to the residence around 3pm, with responding officers coming across the bodies of both victims, with some of the dogs still attacking the infant.
The attacking pit bulls were killed to get them off the baby. The other dogs in the home were taken into the custody of Tullahoma Animal Control to determine the proper course of action.
Speaking to News Channel 5 a neighbor recalled coming home at about 2:30 pm to a woman screaming and crying in the street.
‘I couldn’t understand what she was saying,’ he told the outlet. ‘I tried to help. I came up on her and asked her what was going on.
‘She wouldn’t answer me. She ran off. Then I heard one siren, and then I heard more, and knew the cavalry was coming, basically.’
Did the 7 pit bulls have a prior history of aggression?
While the neighbor did not specify who the woman in the road was, another neighbor, Rebecca Adams, told KGNS that she saw the baby’s mother crying outside when police and animal control arrived.
‘[The mom was] screaming, “my baby,” as [animal control] pulled up. My heart just shattered,’ Adams told the outlet.
Police said the grandfather died after trying to save the baby from being mauled. Smith was reportedly found dead holding a baseball bat.
Investigators were looking into whether the dogs had a violent past or if there were any ‘other potential issues that may have contributed to this situation’ inside the home, the DA’s office wrote.
Adams said she never saw the pit bulls acting aggressively toward people, only chasing after other animals on the block.
‘They’d run after cats, they’d run after dogs, you know, animal things,’ Adams told KGNS.
‘I could see them be aggressive towards animals. Never did I think they would do that to the kids.’
Adams said managing seven dogs created challenges for the family, while stating that the animals were always well taking care of.
Prior involvement of Department of Children’s Services
Authorities were also reviewing whether prior issues involving the children and the Department of Children’s Service contributed to the tragedy, the AG said.
Police have not decided if any charges will be filed.
The house has since been condemned due to poor conditions – leaving six children without a place to live or clothes to wear, according to a GoFundMe created to help the family get back on their feet.
It remained unclear how the children were related to the three-month-old who died in the dog attack.
According to the fundraiser’s organizer, Ely Cournoyer, Smith’s mother also lived in the house, and she is now left to care for all the kids.
‘Her son did not have life insurance, leaving the family with the overwhelming burden of funeral expenses on top of everything else they are trying to piece together,’ Cournoyer, a family member, wrote.
