A 5-year-old boy whose family home was destroyed by the Oklahoma tornado survived the natural disaster but fell prey to the attack of a dog that killed him at a house where he is staying.

The child and his 2-year-old sister were sent to live with family friends in Little Rock, Ark., according to Sky News. Their parents remained in Moore to rebuild their home, ruined in late May when the tornado tore through the Oklahoma City suburb. A bullmastiff living in the home with them attacked the boy and killed him on Sunday, police told KARK-TV.

"The child was putting on some shoes and was crying and upset," said Garland County Deputy Scott Hinojosa. "The dog possibly took that as being aggressive and at that time the child was attacked."

Family friend, 50-year-old Lynnn Geiling, and her husband own the dog. She said she tried pulling the animal off the boy, but by the time she did, the toddler was left with large cuts to his head and neck. The dog ran away after the attack but was shot by a local resident on Monday, according to the news report.

CBS News reported different details, citing a police report that said the boy got upset Saturday afternoon, June 8, over putting on a pair of shoes and threw a tantrum. The dog came from another room and attacked the boy. He was staying with a family in Jessieville.

The husband drove the boy to the ambulance, CBS affiliate KTHV reported from Little Rock. The ambulance transported him to Mercy Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

A massive tornado killed 24 people and injured more than 400 others when it ripped through Moore on May 20, according to the news report. Around 1,200 homes were completely destroyed and 12,000 were damaged.

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Tornado