Pit Bull Kills 9-Year-Old Girl in New York

A pit bull killed a 9-year-old girl playing the backyard of a home in a New York City suburb on Sunday, local police said.

Police shot and killed the dog and later arrested its owner on an unrelated charge, according to an Associated Press report. The girl was transported to a local hospital where she died.

The circumstances of the attack remain unclear. Neighbors told the AP that the dog had been gentle and the attack had come as a surprise.

[AP]