LUMBERTON, NORTH CAROLINA — A child was killed and his brother injured when they were mauled by a pit bull in North Carolina late Sunday morning.

Seven-year-old Talen West and his 8-year-old brother Jaylen were playing in a forest near a home in the city of Lumberton when a neighbor's pit bull attacked them and got Talen by the neck.

Talen's older brother tried to fight the dog off with a machete or hatchet, and was eventually successful, reported WRAL News.

When an emergency crew arrived, the dog was dead at the scene. Jaylen had leg injuries while Talen's neck was broken and he was unresponsive. According to WRAL, the authorities said that Talen had "severe puncture wounds" on his body. Talen later died at Southeastern Medical Center.

The dog, who reportedly died from either exhaustion or a heart attack, had never shown any violent tendencies before, family members of the deceased told WRAL. Sheriff's deputies are investigating to figure out whether charges will be filed.

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