Dog dies saving family during road rage shooting, witness says

ATLANTA -- They say all dogs go to heaven. That may be especially true for one German Shepherd who police say protected a family from gunfire.

Witnesses said the shooting began with road rage and ended with the gunman following a family's SUV to a strip mall. The vehicle was full of kids as bullets flew through the windows.

"They had hit the back of his car," a witness told WXIA. "The dog had jumped in front of the bullet, I guess, to save one of the children or the wife."

The family's dog was mortally wounded in the gunfire. It could be seen on surveillance video before running behind the building where he died.

"The dog took the bullet for the kids, so the kids would be safe."

Sgt. Gregory Lyon with the Atlanta Police Department said, "They were fired upon and their family was terrorized and they survived that, only to find that their pet is now gone. It's sad for the whole family, especially ... after Thanksgiving."