Family distraught after boy’s fatal mauling by pit bulls

When a 10-year-old boy proudly returned home from school with a bottle of marbles, his family pets, both pit bulls, shared in his excitement.

But while playfully trying to latch onto the bottle, one of the dogs appeared to accidentally bite little Storm Nuku’s nose, drawing blood, and the vicious attack unfolded.

The boy was mauled to death by at least one of the family’s pets in front of his two young cousins on Monday, leaving behind a gruesome scene.

In one afternoon, the boy’s uncle — who is also his guardian — lost everything.

Not only is Grantham Nuku, 31, mourning the death of his nephew, but both his pit bulls, which he said were like his own children, had to be shot dead by police at their Anita Drive home shortly after 1pm on Monday.

A distraught Nuku, who battled to hold back his emotions while describing the horror that met him when he arrived home after receiving a distressing call from a neighbour, said he could not understand why his beloved two-year-old dog, Max, would turn on the child.

Forcing back tears, Nuku, who took his nephew in after his mother could no longer look after him, said while he did not know exactly what had transpired, his eight-year-old daughter, who was at the house at the time, told him of the horrific turn of events that unfolded in the front room of the family home.

According to Nuku, his daughter told him Storm had just arrived home from school carrying a bottle of marbles.

“[Storm] loved playing with marbles so he must have been very excited,” Nuku said.

The children were at that stage alone at home with the two dogs, Max and Myla, and their five-year-old cousin.

Nuku’s sister had left them alone while she went to a nearby clinic.

I don’t know what triggered the dog. He was my baby and I treated him like my child. I gave him so much love and had so much trust in him

—  Grantham Nuku

At some stage, while the children were playing, Max grabbed Storm by his nose before latching onto his neck.

“What I can’t understand is — I didn’t know [Max] that way. He loved playing with bottles and tyres [but] I never brought him up dangerously. I can’t believe something like this could happen,” Nuku said.

While the attack was in progress, the little girl ran out the house shouting for help. At the same time, Nuku’s brother-in-law was walking past. Police were then called to assist.

Nuku, a taxi operator, said he rushed home but police would not let him enter the house. He was then informed that the dogs had been shot and that Storm had succumbed to his injuries.

“I always taught my dogs not to bite children. They have never bitten anyone before, even when children teased them,” Nuku said.

Storm had been living with him for more than a year and attended Papenkuil Primary School, where he was in grade 4.

“[Storm] was a wonderful child, always friendly and very lovable. He loved the dogs very much and played with them all the time,” Nuku said.

“I wanted only the best for Storm. I would do anything for him, to protect him. I wanted Storm to make a success of his life. He was strong and an inspiration to me.”  

Nuku’s wife Prilene, 32, said she had rushed home after receiving a call about the incident.

“I was called at work and I immediately ran out. I had to take two taxis to get here as quickly as possible,” she said.

Prilene said when they were eventually allowed inside the house, the scene was horrific. Storm’s body was found in the passage, while the dogs were shot in the bedroom.

“There was blood everywhere, from the lounge to the passage and into the bedroom ... There was blood splattered all over the curtains in the bedroom,” she said.

Nuku said: “I don’t know what triggered the dog. He was my baby and I treated him like my child. I gave him so much love and had so much trust in him. I wanted [Max and Myla] to be house pets, I wanted them to feel like part of the family.

“Everything has been taken away from me in one day. The house is very quiet now.

“Storm was a child, I can get other dogs but I can’t bring Storm back.”

Asked how the other two children were coping, Prilene said their daughter had slept at her aunt’s house on Monday night.  

Police spokesperson Col Priscilla Naidu said the police were forced to shoot both dogs.

“At about 1.15pm, police were alerted to the incident and on arrival shot both dogs inside the house. At this stage, it is unclear what had happened when the two dogs turned on the boy. He succumbed to his injuries at the scene,” Naidu said.

An inquest docket has been opened for further investigation.

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