CINCINNATI -- A 17-year-old gorilla named Harambe was killed Saturday after it dragged a 4-year-old boy that fell into its enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden Saturday, Zoo Director Thane Maynard said.

The boy was hospitalized with injuries that were not life-threatening, police said. 

District Chief Marc Monahan said firefighters who responded saw the boy "dragged around and banged around pretty violently" by the gorilla.

Personnel from the zoo's dangerous animal response team decided to put down Harambe rather than tranquilize him because the boy was in danger and the tranquilizer would not have taken effect immediately, Maynard said. Two other gorillas in the exhibit were called back inside.

Maynard called it "a life-threatening situation" for the boy. The response team shot Harambe.

WATCH video from a bystander in the player above

Read more about this story here