'Full of life:' 4-year-old boy killed by pit bull while playing in Detroit yard

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."

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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.

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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