Putting the issue of generally bad behaved dogs of all types aside…
The vast majority of fatal and near fatal dog attacks in the UK and the US have been fighting / bull baiting breeds like XL bullies, pit bulls and staffies. I’d put money on the dog who carried out this attack being one of those types.
These are dogs which have strong jaws and a terrier tendency to bite, hold and shake, which causes horrible injuries. They are also very tenacious and will continue attacking even when they are being beaten with bats or stabbed.
Owners of these dogs insist that it’s the owners, not the breed, but there have been documented examples of beloved, placid, cuddly family pitbulls suddenly snapping attacking humans and other animals. These weren’t rescue dogs with an unknown history, they were well loved family dogs raised by the owner from puppies.
There is a lot of pro-pitbull propaganda on the internet which is going out of its way to insist these types of dogs are misunderstood sweethearts - a propaganda campaign you don’t see with other dangerous breeds like German shepherds or Rottweilers. I think this is resulting in more people getting them and not realising how dangerous they can be, even when treated with love.
To me, it’s like owning a tiger as a pet but treating it like a house cat.