A white pit bull, which attacked a 3-year-old boy and his parents Sunday in El Mirage, was found shot to death Tuesday morning.

Assistant Police Chief Bill Louis said the dog's death is still under investigation, but "it appeared to have several gunshot wounds." A Maricopa County Animal Control officer discovered the dog's body in the Agua Fria River bed, and he was later identified by the boy.

Louis said officers responded to the call around 9 p.m. Sunday in the 11500 block of West Columbine Street, where a dog attacked the family at a home they were visiting.

They were in the back yard when the dog entered through a gate. The dog grabbed the boy by the back of his neck, and the parents tried to free their child but were bitten as well.

The parents freed the boy from the grasp of the dog, which ran away.

Louis said both parents received puncture wounds, while the child received stitches for a "lemon-sized" piece of scalp torn from the back of his head.