TULLAHOMA, Tenn. (WSMV) – A 50-year-old man and his 3-month-old granddaughter were found dead after police said they were attacked by their family dogs at their Tullahoma home on East Warren Street on Wednesday afternoon.
Officers found James Alexander Smith already dead when they arrived at the scene, and the dogs were still attacking the infant’s body, according to a press release. Police had to kill some of the dogs to stop the attack and reach the victims.
The family owned seven dogs, according to neighbors who said the dogs had previously attacked other animals in the neighborhood but never harmed people.
Police are trying to determine if Smith and his granddaughter were killed by the dog attack or if they were already dead before the mauling started. The district attorney called it a brutal scene.
Detectives are looking to see if the dogs had a violent history or if there were other issues in the home. Police have not decided if any charges will be filed.
Neighbors describe shock and grief
Rebecca Adams, who has lived across the street from the family her entire life, said the community is shocked by the tragedy.
“(The mom was) screaming, ‘my baby,’ as (Tullahoma Animal Control) pulled up. My heart just shattered,” Adams said. “I’m just now coming to realize what happened, and it really happened. I’ve lived by these people forever, and now they aren’t even going to be my neighbors no more.”
Adams said the pit bulls would constantly escape from the yard and chase other neighborhood pets. She said Smith’s children and grandchildren would always have to chase them down.
“I’ve never seen them be aggressive towards people. They’d run after cats, they’d run after dogs, you know, animal things,” Adams said. “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, but they were always taking good care of their animals.
Family faces additional hardship
The house was also condemned because of its condition, meaning the family must find a new place to live and get things like clothes while mourning the deaths.
A GoFundMe has been started to help the family cover funeral expenses and includes a list of other items they hope the community can donate.
The dogs that were not killed during the response were taken by Animal Control. Officials are determining what will happen with the remaining animals.
A constant stream of cars has been driving through the neighborhood as word of the attack spreads.
“Today has just been everybody driving by just to see the house,” Adams said. “I guess they’re needing proof, too, that this really did happen.”
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