Phoenix police say a pit bull who mauled and critically injured a 2-year-old girl Tuesday was shot and killed by someone inside the north Phoenix home.

The 2-year-old girl and her mother were at the home near 35th Avenue and Indian School Road when the pitbull "jumped up and snatched" the child out of her mother's arms and began mauling her, the Phoenix Police Department said in a press release Wednesday.

The child was taken by her family to the hospital with critical injuries, according to police.

Several people were also inside the home at the time, one of whom "eventually" shot and killed the dog, police said. The occupants left the home and never returned, police said.

The family would not say who shot the dog and no gun was recovered, according to police.

Reach the reporter at chelsea.curtis@arizonarepublic.com or follow her on Twitter @curtis_chels.

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