TULLAHOMA, Tenn. (WTVF) — An infant and an adult man died Wednesday afternoon after being attacked by at least seven dogs inside a home on East Warren Street in Tullahoma, according to the Coffee County Sheriff's Office.
The infant was mauled first, and the man was killed while trying to save the child, investigators said.
A neighbor who asked not to be identified said he arrived home around 2:30 p.m. and saw a woman screaming in the middle of the road.
"I couldn't understand what she was saying," he said. "I tried to help. I came up on her and asked her what was going on. She wouldn't answer me. She ran off. Then I heard one siren, and then I heard more, and knew the cavalry was coming, basically."
Officers, paramedics and animal control responded to the scene. One dog charged at officers and was shot, while the remaining animals were seized by animal control.
The neighbor said word began to spread about what happened inside the home.
"We started hearing that the two dogs that attacked two family members and killed them," he said. "We had no idea that anything like this would ever happen here. It's just horrible."
Learning that one of the victims was an infant made the tragedy even more difficult for the community.
"It's just horrible. If you just hear about it, it's one thing, but knowing it happened across the street, knowing the people, that's what makes it so difficult," the neighbor said.
Tullahoma Police Chief Chase Sons said the family and his officers are distraught after witnessing the tragic scene, which has shaken the entire neighborhood.
Sons said there's currently no indication of criminal activity, but the District Attorney has been notified. Investigators are working to determine who owned the dogs and whether they had a history of aggression.
This story was reported on-air by journalist Kelsey Gibbs and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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