The Nebraska Humane Society told local ABC news outlet KETV7 Omaha that the incident near Mary Street and Minne Lusa Boulevard was a dog attack and the Rottweiler was shot after the girl was cornered by the animal.

Humane Society Investigators believe the girl’s brother, who has a concealed gun permit, fired at the animal to protect his sister from harm.

Vice president of field operations for Nebraska Humane Society, Steve Glandt, said to KETV7 Omaha: “Apparently, she was in a place where she couldn’t retreat because of barriers, and her brother chose to fire the gun and protect his sister.”

Local resident Amy Holmes believes the dog may have been accidentally shot. “It’s just heart-wrenching to know that he had to die this way,” she said.

“We’re feeling a lot of guilt, too. Obviously even though he wasn’t the type of dog to hurt anybody, we also understand he was a 100-pound Rottweiler. He looks very scary and if you didn’t know who he was and he surprised you, that would be scary.”

The dog’s owner allegedly claimed the dog could have been playing. The owner had previously been cited for not having the animal properly restrained.

Newsweek has contact Omaha Police Department and the Nebraska Humane Society for further comment on the aforementioned incident.

A “potentially dangerous dog” is classified by the Nebraska Humane Society as one involved in a incident of “unprovoked aggression”. This can involve a minor bite, a dog attacking another animal, a dog chasing a person in a menacing manner in public.

According to a survey by The Coalition for Living Safely with Dogs, Rottweilers are one of the top five dog breeds involved in dog attacks. The others on the list are Labrador retrievers, pit bulls, German Shepherds, and chow-chows.

The National Center for Biotechnology Information (part of the United States National Library of Medicine) cites that on average around 30-50 people die from dog bites each year in the U.S.

An injured victim of a dog bite in Nebraska is entitled to claim compensation from the owner of the animal (if bitten in public, not on private land). However, the statute does not apply if the injury was caused by playful and mischievous act.