Alex Kitner, 10, was floating on a rubber raft offshore around 2 p.m. today when the attack occurred.
Police say the Amity boy was killed in "what appears... to have been a vicious and unprovoked shark attack".
Kitner's body has not been recovered but his raft washed up on shore shortly after the attack, ripped and destroyed.
"His damaged raft floated ashore shortly after the incident with what appeared to be a large bite out of it" said Police Chief martin Brody, who witnessed the events this afternoon.
It was a beautiful Summer day and the beach was crowded with people, young and old. Lounging in the sand or frolicking in the water, everyone was enjoying the nice weather and relishing the chance to escape from the heat of the Summer sun.
Children were playing in the water, tossing around a football as Kitner paddled out to the depths of the Ocean.
Commotion quickly disrupted this idyllic Summer's day when Kitner was suddenly pulled under the water. The kids playing nearby scrambled frantically to get out of the water as worried parents, friends and guardians rushed to the water's edge to ensure the safety of their loved ones.
Alex's mother, Marion Kitner, called for her son as she paced back and forth in the surf, to no avail.
Mrs. Kitner, who was a witness to her son's attack, is now at Amity General Hospital being treated for shock.
Police say that today's attack may be linked to the death of Chrissie Watson, whose mangled body was found earlier today on the shores of South Beach.
"We now believe that it may be possible that the Watson death could also maybe have possibly been linked to the possible shark activities in the vicinity of Amity" said Brody.
A special meeting will take place at 6 p.m. today in Town Hall to discuss Chief Brody's plan to close the beaches on July 4, the Kitner family's reward for the capture of the suspected killer and a local fisherman's offer to hunt down the shark thought to be the perpetrator.
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