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Lowell school district mourns ‘tragic’ loss of 7-year-old killed by pit bulls

Two neighborhood children looked at the memorial on Clare Street in Lowell where a 7-year-old boy was killed by two pit bulls on Saturday. Jim Davis/Globe Staff

Lowell school officials expressed sorrow over the death of a 7-year-old boy and “vibrant” Lowell Public Schools student who was killed in a pit bull attack Saturday, in a statement issued Monday.

“The Lowell Public School community is deeply saddened to have received the news of the tragic unexpected death of one of our elementary school students,” Lowell Public Schools Deputy Superintendent Jeannine Durkin said in the statement. “We are cooperating with the Lowell Police and as such are not releasing the child’s name. That being said, we mourn the loss of a vibrant member of the Lowell Public School community who will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends during this difficult time.”

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Durkin also said that the school district’s administrators and Critical Incidence Response Team made “on-site counseling and resources” available “for those in need of support during this difficult time.”

The boy was mauled to death Saturday after entering a fenced area next to a Clare Street home in Lowell, where two pit bulls were being kept.

One of the dogs escaped and was euthanized after the attack, and the other was taken in by animal control.

People in the area of the residence said they heard the attack, but could not arrive at the scene in time to save the boy.

“He was already gone as soon as we got there,” said David Swiniarski, 22, who lives down the street from the home.

Jean Remon, 45, who left the area for dinner before the attack and returned to see the boy’s body in a driveway covered by a sheet, said the girlfriend of the dogs’ owner was in tears after the death. The girlfriend had repeatedly warned children to stay away from the dogs, Remon said.

“I told them a month ago not to jump the fence,” Remon recalled the woman saying Saturday.

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Along Clare Street on Sunday, there were signs of a neighborhood grappling with tragedy. Pockets of residents gathered along the street, speaking quietly among themselves. A man riding a bicycle left a vase of red flowers by the chain-link gate.

Kendra Rivera, 8, a classmate of the boy’s, brought sunflowers from their garden to the driveway of the home along with a note of condolence to the boy’s mother.

“We hope she feels better,” she said. “And our hearts are broken.”

The incident is under investigation by the Middlesex District Attorney’s office. No charges have been brought.


Globe correspondents Jeremy C. Fox and Martha Schick contributed to this report. Ben Thompson can be reached at ben.thompson@globe.com. John Hilliard can be reached at john.hilliard@globe.com.