A 5-year old boy was killed on Sunday when the pet of a family friend attacked him, severely wounding his head and neck.

The boy–whose name hasn’t been released yet–was staying with friends of his parents in Jessieville, Arkansas, while the parents worked to salvage and rebuild their home in Moore, Oklahoma. The family’s Bullmastiff reportedly became aggressive when the boy got upset and started to cry and attacked him; the owner says she tried to pull the dog off but was too late. The animal ran away after the attack but was later shot dead by a friend of the owners.

The heartbreaking story comes as a shock to the community of Moore, where everyone is working to rebuild their lives after the deadly tornado system that rocked the town last month.

“To me, it’s heartbreaking,” Garland County sheriff’s Deputy Scott Hinojosa said. “I’ve got a 5-year-old daughter. You can’t imagine what this family and friends are going through right now.”

Authorities are considering pressing charges on the family, but no decision has been made yet.

Image: DogBreedInfo.com