A 23-year-old college student just months from earning her teaching degree was killed Friday afternoon in what her family called a “vicious” dog attack while she was pet sitting at a private home.
Smith County Sheriff’s deputies were called to a residence in Tyler around 4:15 p.m. on Nov. 21, where they found Madison Riley Hull lying in the backyard. Officials said the scene was still dangerous when law enforcement arrived.
As a deputy attempted to reach Hull and provide aid, one of the three dogs—identified by local outlets, including the Tyler Morning Telegraph, as pit bulls—charged him. The deputy fired his weapon, killing the dog. The gunfire caused the remaining two animals to scatter, allowing responders to reach Hull.
Despite efforts to save her, Hull died from her injuries a short time later.
The deputy involved suffered minor injuries during the confrontation and was treated at a local hospital, according to the sheriff’s department.
Jennifer Hubbell, Hull’s mother, confirmed her daughter’s death in a statement shared on a GoFundMe page created after the attack.
“I am shattered in a way I didn’t know a human being could break,” Hubbell wrote. “My beautiful, full of love, full of life, free-spirited daughter was killed in a sudden and vicious dog attack.”
Hull was a senior at the University of Texas at Tyler, just six months away from earning a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education. Her mother said Hull had already discovered her purpose in the classroom, where the kindergarten through third-grade students “adored her.”
“Madi was love, she was light, she was kindness, she was laughter, she was fierce in the most beautiful and disarming way,” Hubbell added.
As of Tuesday, the family’s fundraiser had brought in more than $13,000 to cover funeral and memorial expenses. Hubbell said the donations would help give her daughter “the beautiful farewell her bright spirit deserves.”