James Alexander Smith and 3-Month-Old Granddaughter Killed in ‘Brutal’ Pit Bull Attack at Tullahoma, Tennessee Home

A grandfather and his 3-month-old granddaughter were killed in a horrific dog attack on Wednesday in Tullahoma, Tennessee, according to authorities. The victims have been identified as 50-year-old James Alexander Smith and his infant granddaughter.

The 14th Judicial District Attorney General Craig Northcott’s office, in a statement shared by the Tullahoma Police Department, said the Coffee County Communications Center received a call around 3 p.m. on December 3 reporting an apparent mauling involving an adult male and an infant.

Police Arrived to Find Infant Actively Mauled

Neighbor Brian Kirby told Fox 8 News that he had just returned home from work when he saw a woman screaming in the middle of the street. When he asked whether she needed help, she ran toward the back of the property. Moments later, he heard emergency sirens.

Responding officers found a horrifying scene. According to the district attorney’s office, police observed several pit bulls actively mauling the infant when they arrived. The statement described the situation as “brutal.”

“The dogs were killed to stop the attack. Regrettably, it was obvious that both victims were deceased,” the press release stated.

Family Owned Seven Pit Bulls; Investigation Underway

Neighbors told local outlets that the family owned seven pit bulls, and that the same dogs had allegedly been involved in multiple prior attacks on animals in the area. Kirby claimed the dogs had killed his pet cat days earlier and said he had planned to file a police report.

Authorities have not yet released the identities of the dogs’ owners. The district attorney’s office confirmed a full investigation is underway, including:

• Determining the cause of death of Smith and the infant

• Whether any mauling occurred postmortem

• Whether the dogs had a past violent history

• Any prior issues involving children and potential involvement from the Department of Children’s Services

• Any other factors that may have contributed to the fatal attack

No decision has yet been made regarding potential criminal charges.

Dogs Euthanized; Other Animals Seized

Officers euthanized the dogs involved in the attack. Additional dogs in the home were taken into custody by Tullahoma Animal Control for evaluation and to determine next steps.

Community Grieving After Devastating Loss

District Attorney Northcott urged the public to keep the family and first responders in their thoughts.

“Please pray for the family of the victims in this difficult time, as well as the first responders as they cope with the trauma from what they witnessed,” the statement read.