Brady-McGinnis' landlord and close friend Jean McGuire first identified her as the victim on Tuesday shortly before police confirmed it.
McGuire, 93, is a civil rights pioneer and the first Black woman elected to the Boston School Committee. McGuire said Brady-McGinnis was like a "sister" to her and that they had known each other for years.
Boston dog attack
Brady-McGinnis was mauled by her pit bull Buddha outside their home on Dennison Street in Roxbury around 4:30 p.m., according to McGuire.
"She got attacked some way and they ripped her arm," McGuire told reporters.
Investigators said the dog also attacked Brady-McGinnis's husband as he tried to save her and two Boston police officers. All four were rushed to the hospital. Brady-McGinnis died in surgery, according to McGuire.
Police said the officers and Brady-McGinnis's husband had "non-life threatening injuries." They later confirmed the dog was shot but that his status Tuesday was "unknown."
"Heart and soul of our family is gone"
Brady-McGinnis's three children Chris, Ronald and Donald, released a statement following her death.
"Our mother was a loving and caring mother. She put her children first ... The heart and soul of our family is gone," they said.
According to her sons, Brady-McGinnis had a "heart of gold." They said she loved her animals and cooked them dinner every night.
Jeriline Brady-McGinnis like a "sister"
The attack left McGuire stunned.
"She's very close to her animals, almost like children, I think. She took good care of them. She walked them every day," McGuire said.
McGuire was stabbed multiple times while walking her dog in nearby Franklin Park back in October 2022. At the time, Brady-McGinnis told WBZ there was "no nicer person in the world" than McGuire and that she "would do anything for anybody."
"I lost my sister. She's a sister," McGuire said of McGinnis Tuesday. "She's a wonderful person, very generous, very loving person, loved animals."
Neighbors were scared of dogs
The Boston Police homicide unit is looking into the attack because the injuries were so serious.
McGuire said Brady-McGinnis's four dogs were a risk.
"They had too many dogs. And they put them in cages. Don't put your dog in a cage. You've got to keep them from fighting or whatever. But you know you stay out of people's business," she said.
Neighbors told WBZ they were also scared of the dogs, adding that they barked loudly and often.
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