A six-year-old boy died following a horrific dog attack outside his family home in Lexington. The child, who had gone outside to retrieve a phone charger, suffered fatal injuries inflicted by multiple dogs, as reported by NewsOn6. The Cleveland County Sheriff's Office described the scene as one of the worst encountered by Chief Deputy of Operations John Szymanski in his roughly 30 years of service.
Nikki Maynard, a relative of the victim, recounted the devastating moment of discovery when the father found his son "on the ground, unresponsive," a scene she described as "very tragic," according to KFOR. The father immediately alerted authorities, who attempted lifesaving measures. Despite initially regaining a pulse and breathing, the boy's grip on life slipped away soon after being transported to the hospital.
The documents released by the sheriff's office indicated that the boy had been attacked by multiple dogs to a point where he was left unrecognizable, a detail provided by KOCO. Responding deputies found evidence of a violent struggle, including photographs of the child’s shoes mere feet from the front door and blood stains indicative of a desperate attempt to escape.
After the attack, the child's father surrendered five family dogs to be euthanized, two of which had visible blood on their fur. “We’re not even sure which dogs did it,” Szymanski said, acknowledging the possibility that some of the dogs may have been trying to protect the child. Despite stray dogs being common in the area, “The dogs were all well taken care of, it didn't appear like there was any negligence at this point,” Szymanski told NewsOn6. The tragic incident has sparked an ongoing investigation by the sheriff's office into whether stray dogs may have been involved in the attack.
