Current:Home > Contact-us'Full of life:' 4-year-old boy killed by pit bull while playing in Detroit yard-LoTradeCoin
'Full of life:' 4-year-old boy killed by pit bull while playing in Detroit yard
View Date:2024-12-23 23:33:38
A 4-year-old Detroit boy playing in a backyard has been killed after family members believe that a neighbor's pit bull was able to get through a fence and maul him to death.
The attack of the boy, identified as Lovell Anderson by family members, happened around 3 p.m. Wednesday in a neighborhood on Detroit's west side, Cpl. Dan Donakowski told reporters.
Detroit police initially took two dogs believed to be pit bulls or pit bull mixes into custody after suspecting they could have both been involved in the attack. But Lovell's family members later told local media that one of the dogs belongs to his grandmother and wasn't involved.
“We’re trying to do everything that we can just to help everybody through this,” Police Cmdr. Arnold Williams told reporters at the scene, according to the Associated Press. “The loss of a child who hasn’t really started their life is just something huge that nobody can really even fathom."
California:French pilot dies after 1,000-foot fall from Mount Whitney during LA stopover
Family member identify boy, describe him as 'full of life'
A post by family members on GoFundMe said that Lovell was visiting his grandmother when the attack happened.
His aunt told Fox 2 Detroit that she believed that a neighbor’s dog grabbed Anderson through a gap in his fenced backyard and pulled him to the other side.
Lovell was "full of life,” his aunt, Monique Grant, told WXYZ-TV.
Another aunt, Maple Blackshear, added that he was “just such a gentleman, so helpful. Just sweet.”
Police said that Detroit animal control took custody of two dogs. It was unclear what will happen to the dogs or whether any owners will face charges.
Washington:Woman’s dog accidentally eats meth while on walk, she issues warning to other pet owners
Dog attacks are a recurring problem in Detroit
The mauling is the latest fatal dog attack in Detroit.
In April, a 58-year-old man was killed by multiple pit bulls in a southwest Detroit building. A year prior, two dogs reportedly attacked two girls at a public school during recess, sending the school into lockdown.
These aren't isolated incidents, according to a 2019 Detroit Free Press investigation finding that the city faces hundreds of dog bite reports per year. The animal advocates told the Free Press at the time that stray dog epidemic was at least partially the result of irresponsible pet owners who leave their dogs unattended for days at a time in unsecured yards where they can easily break free and potentially attack people.
“This reminds everybody, if you do have a dog to secure your dog to make sure your dog can’t get out," Williams said. "That’s the most important thing."
Contributing: The Associated Press
veryGood! (6889)
Related
- Jerry Jones lashes out at question about sun's glare at AT&T Stadium after Cowboys' loss
- Spare a thought for Gustavo, the guy delivering your ramen in the wildfire smoke
- 'Like milk': How one magazine became a mainstay of New Jersey's Chinese community
- For Many, the Global Warming Confab That Rose in the Egyptian Desert Was a Mirage
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has a long record of promoting anti-vaccine views
- Mazda, Toyota, Nissan, Tesla among 436,000 vehicles recalled. Check car recalls here.
- 'Los Angeles Times' to lay off 13% of newsroom
- Rob Kardashian's Daughter Dream Is This Celebrity's No. 1 Fan in Cute Rap With Khloe's Daughter True
- To Protect the Ozone Layer and Slow Global Warming, Fertilizers Must Be Deployed More Efficiently, UN Says
- OceanGate wants to change deep-sea tourism, but its missing sub highlights the risks
Ranking
- Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger welcome their first son together
- California Had a Watershed Climate Year, But Time Is Running Out
- Georgia is becoming a hub for electric vehicle production. Just don't mention climate
- John Mayer Cryptically Shared “Please Be Kind” Message Ahead of Taylor Swift Speak Now Release
- Bev Priestman fired as Canada women’s soccer coach after review of Olympic drone scandal
- ‘It Is Going to Take Real Cuts to Everyone’: Leaders Meet to Decide the Future of the Colorado River
- Russia’s War in Ukraine Reveals a Risk for the EV Future: Price Shocks in Precious Metals
- Drifting Toward Disaster: the (Second) Rio Grande
Recommendation
-
Seattle man faces 5 assault charges in random sidewalk stabbings
-
Inside Clean Energy: Yes, There Are Benefits of Growing Broccoli Beneath Solar Panels
-
OceanGate wants to change deep-sea tourism, but its missing sub highlights the risks
-
Is now the time to buy a car? High sticker prices, interest rates have many holding off
-
Who will save Florida athletics? Gators need fixing, and it doesn't stop at Billy Napier
-
FTC sues Amazon for 'tricking and trapping' people in Prime subscriptions
-
The debt ceiling deal bulldozes a controversial pipeline's path through the courts
-
Leading experts warn of a risk of extinction from AI