'Sweet little boy', 4, is mauled to death by an American Bully in Virginia shortly after starting preschool

Deputies who arrived at the scene found Garcia Welch still under attack and shot the dog to stop the assault. The 911 call came in at around 4.42pm on Sunday, October 18, from the 1500 block of Jefferson Highway in Louisa County. Garcia was airlifted to hospital, where doctors were unable to save him and he died shortly after arriving. He had only recently started at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School.

Teacher Whitney Elizabeth Smith: 'We had big plans to spend next year together.'

Garcia is survived by his mother, Cathleen, and an older brother.