Only two days after a 9-year-old girl was mauled to death by three pit bulls, her uncle found himself in a similar situation.

While walking to his truck on Faust near Paul Street, Jesse Lopez spotted two German shepherds running toward him.

"Everything happened so quick and I had no time to try and really react, but trying not to get bit by two dogs," Lopez said. "There was a white one and a grey one. The white one lunged at me and tried to attack me."

Lopez, a CPL holder said if he didn't have loose pants, he would have definitely got bit. Instead, he said he pulled out his gun and aimed at the first dog.

"I shoot once, I miss. Then the dog took two steps and ran back at me again and I shot it again and I hit it on the side," he said.

The incident was validated by a neighbor who heard the noise nearby.


"I had actually heard two gunshots and I looked out the window and heard a dog yelp," said Terri Powess.

The neighbor whose stepson owns the dog claims to only own the white German shepherd. While it's usually kept in the house, on Wednesday morning it sotted a stray dog running by. That's when it jumped out the window.

"I mean I feel bad, I'm glad he didn't get hurt or anything obviously," said the neighbor. "So I get it, I get being scared of big dogs."

The city is still reeling from reports that three pit bulls escaped their yard and mauled Emma Hernandez to death while she was riding her bike down an alley near her home. Her father, Armando said he hasn't slept since the attack.

"I haven't slept, I haven't been able to get any rest," Armando said. "The first thing I see when I close my eyes is my daughter."

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As for Lopez's attack, he called Detroit police and animal care after firing his gun. The dog was taken to the vet where it will be okay. While the owner's step mother denies they know the other dog, Powess isn't so sure.

"I see them out roaming the streets and things like that. I didn't know if it was a vicious dog or anything like that," she said.

Lopez hopes the dogs aren't given back to the owner. He said the dogs were "vicious" and they would attack again.