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An 11-year-old boy is recovering from surgery following a vicious incident last Sunday in which he was mauled by three unleashed pitbulls, suffering wounds to his legs, arms, stomach and chest before the dogs were shot and killed.

The Washington Post reports the scene played out near the intersection of Eighth and Sheridan Streets NW in Brightwood when the boy, who was riding a new bike, was attacked after crashing into the dogs:

D.C. police said the unleashed and unattended dogs attacked the boy before a neighbor who saw it went into his home, got his handgun and fired once, hitting one of the dogs. A D.C. police officer on bicycle patrol heard the shots, and authorities said he shot and killed the other two pit bulls. It was unclear from a police report exactly how many shots the officer fired.

And that’s where this incident runs into the District’s stringent gun-control laws. Though the victim’s uncle said the neighbor who retrieved the handgun from his house “did the right thing,” it is unclear if the gun was registered.

What is clear, though, is that discharging a firearm in D.C. streets is illegal, and Metropolitan Police Department spokeswoman Gwendolyn Crump says officers are still investigating if the neighbor could be charged. The unlawful firing of a gun is punishable by up to a year in prison and a $1,000 fine, though self-defense is listed as a valid reason.