Police in Tennessee uncovered a horrifying scene inside a Tullahoma home on Wednesday after a three-month-old baby girl and her grandfather were found dead, mauled by a pack of seven pit bulls.
Authorities confirmed that 50-year-old James Alexander Smith and his infant granddaughter were both killed inside Smith’s residence.
According to the Coffee County District Attorney’s Office, police arrived around 3 p.m. after receiving a report of an attack and found the victims dead at the scene.
Officers said several of the pit bulls were still attacking the infant when they entered the home. Some of the animals were killed on the spot, while the remaining dogs were seized by Animal Control to determine whether they should be euthanized or tested for violent history.
Police confirmed that the scene was chaotic and gruesome, and that the pit bulls had inflicted severe injuries before law enforcement was able to stop the attack.
Investigators have not yet disclosed whether the victims died before or during the mauling.
Neighbors described the moment relatives ran into the street in shock as the tragedy unfolded.
One man who arrived home around the same time said he saw a woman screaming and crying in the road, unable to speak or explain what happened.
He recalled trying to help her but said she appeared completely shattered.
He explained that she ran off moments before he heard sirens, as emergency vehicles began to flood the street. The neighbor said he realized something terrible had happened when more units arrived.
Another neighbor told reporters that she saw the baby’s mother outside the home screaming as animal control pulled up. She said the mother shouted “my baby” repeatedly and was visibly distraught. She said no one in the community could have imagined such a tragedy.
Police said Smith died trying to save the infant, as he was found holding a baseball bat next to the dogs. Investigators believe he attempted to fight the animals to protect the baby, but the dogs were too aggressive and continued the attack.
Authorities said they are still investigating whether the pit bulls had a record of violent behavior. Neighbors said the dogs chased other animals in the area, but did not previously appear aggressive toward people, according to the Daily Mail.
One neighbor said the dogs often ran after cats and other pets in the neighborhood and said she never expected them to attack a child. She said she could not believe the situation and still struggled to process what had happened in the home.
Officials condemned the property after the attack due to hazardous living conditions. The family now faces funeral costs and the urgent need for housing, with several children left without clothes or a place to stay.
A family member created a fundraiser to help pay for funeral services and temporary housing, revealing that Smith did not have life insurance.
The fundraiser has raised more than $37,500 as the family tries to recover from the devastating tragedy.
