JESSIEVILLE, Ark., June 10 (UPI) -- A 5-year-old boy who survived a recent killer tornado in Oklahoma was killed this weekend when he was attacked by a dog in Arkansas, authorities say.
The boy, whose name had not been released, and his younger sister were staying with family friends in Jessieville, Ark., while their parents worked to rebuild their Moore, Okla., home that had been destroyed by a twister last month, The Norman (Okla.) Transcript reported Monday.
A Garland County sheriff's deputy report stated family friend Lynn Geiling, 50, said she was trying to calm the boy, who was throwing a tantrum over putting on a pair of shoes, when the family's bullmastiff came out of another room and attacked him, the newspaper and KTHV-TV, Little Rock, Ark., reported.
"The dog possibly attacked because he felt threatened," Deputy Scott Hinojosa said.
Geiling said she was unable to get the large dog away from the boy initially and so phoned her husband. She managed to separate them before he arrived.
When Geiling's husband arrived home, he and their son took the boy to a hospital where he was pronounced dead Sunday.
The dog ran away after the attack but was found Monday and was killed by a friend of the family, news reports said.
It was unknown if the owners would be charged, the newspaper said.
"To me, it's heartbreaking," Hinojosa told NBC affiliate KARK-TV, Little Rock. "I've got a 5-year-old daughter. You can't imagine what this family and friends are going through right now."
