(Featured image captured by 11Alive)
One child is dead and two others have been seriously injured after a tragic dog attack unfolded in a southwest Atlanta neighborhood.
One boy, 6-year-old Logan Braatz, died as a result of the attack while another child, 5-year-old Syria Sanders, was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. She has since undergone surgery and is in stable condition.
A third child was evaluated at the hospital but has since been released, according to Atlanta Police Spokesperson Warren Pickard.
The F.L. Stanton Elementary School children were on their way to the school bus stop when the dogs, believed to be pit bulls, attacked them on Cerro Street, according to CBS46.
The owner of the dogs, identified as Cameron Tucker, has been taken into custody.
He has been charged with two counts of reckless conduct.
Animal control officers have taken two of the dogs into custody and police are trying to determine if a third dog was involved in the attack although that dog is believed to be a stray.
The families impacted by this attack now have a particularly tragic start to a brand new year and it’s all due to an event that could have easily been avoided.
As it turns out, Tucker has been letting his dogs run loose in the neighborhood for quite some time.
Neighbors who live in the area say they have spotted the dogs running loose on many occasions and although they haven’t been violent in the past, there were always huge safety concerns surrounding the unattended dogs.
“They frequent the neighborhood a lot… they haven’t been aggressive in the past,” Shamonte Clayton told 11alive before adding, “Why are you letting two full grown pit bulls roam this neighborhood freely when the neighborhood is full of elementary school aged kids.”
Several kids witnessed the brutal mauling and others will likely be traumatized to discover they have lost a friend due to such a violent attack.
For that very reason, APS has sent a crisis team to the elementary school in order to provide guidance and counseling for the children during such a traumatic event.
