COLUMBUS, Ohio — A seven-month-old baby girl, Elizah Turner, was fatally mauled by one of her family’s three pit bulls in their Columbus home on Wednesday, in a devastating incident that has left her parents and first responders heartbroken.
Emergency responders rushed the injured infant to a nearby fire station before transporting her to Nationwide Children’s Hospital, where she was pronounced dead shortly before noon.
Columbus Police Sgt. James Fuqua described the tragedy as an accident, confirming that no criminal charges are expected. “There is really not a lot of words I can say to convey how I feel and how the officers who arrived [feel],” Fuqua told WBNS. “Everyone in this process is literally grieving as if this child belonged to us because most of us are parents and can’t imagine just how this scene is.”
Franklin County Animal Control removed the dogs from the home, though authorities have not yet confirmed which of the three pit bulls was responsible.
Elizah’s parents, Mackenzie Copley and Kameron Turner, shared their grief on social media, posting photos of their daughter—including one of her cuddling with one of the family’s pit bulls.
“I will never understand why!!! I am so lost and broken,” Copley wrote on Saturday. “This was the same dog who was side by side with my baby every single day.”
Turner, who frequently posted about their dogs on Facebook, expressed his anguish in a post the day after Elizah’s death: “Life is so not fair man why us why our baby. How can I continue living without her man?”
Elizah’s obituary described her as a “spunky, happy baby who was never without a smile.” Nicknamed “Kicking Wing” by her grandfather because she would kick her legs excitedly whenever someone entered the room, she loved watching Miss Rachel and had a “contagious laugh.”
“She brought light to everyone’s life, healed her family’s hearts and gave them all purpose,” the obituary read. “Her favorite times were spent laughing with mom and dad.”
A GoFundMe has been set up to support the family, raising over $3,000 as of Saturday. “No parent should ever have to endure this kind of pain,” the page reads. “Their daughter was deeply loved. And through your support, her memory will be honored with compassion and care.”
RIP Baby Elizah Turner.
