A 25-year-old graduate chemistry student who had planned to graduate from NIU in December died after being mauled by two pit-bull dogs Thursday night.

The Kane County Sheriff’s Department said Kevin Cull, 25, 120 Gurler St., DeKalb, was visiting friends at a Geneva Township residence, 33W518 Fabyan Parkway, when he was attacked by the pit bulls at about 6 p.m.

A house guest found Cull in his vehicle and drove him to the sheriff’s department. Cull was then transported to Central DuPage Hospital, Winfield, where he died from his wounds.

A hospital spokesman said Cull died at 7:30 p.m from loss of blood.

Joe Vaughn, chemistry department chairman, said Cull, who had received his undergraduate degree from NIU, “was doing well in the program.”

Rodger Stutz, Kane County deputy rabies inspector, said the pit bulls are impounded. He said he had no trouble with the dogs when he went to obtain them from the home Thursday.

“In 32 years of work, I have never seen a death involved from dogbites,” Stutz said. “In general, pit bulls are not bad dogs.”

He said he did not know what would happen to the dogs. He said they might be destroyed at the order of authorities or at the owner’s request. A decision is expected this week.

Thomas Kennedy, 29, owner of the dogs, told the Associated Press that the pit bulls would not have attacked without provocation. He was not home at the time of the attack.

One of Kennedy’s neighbors, who declined to give her name, said one dog was chained, but the other was loose Thursday.

The neighbor said one dog often came to play with her family’s dog. The girl said the pit bulls were used as both pets and as guard dogs. The owner told her that the dogs are “really nice,” she said.

Employees at Graphic Concepts, 33W480 Fabyan Parkway, said they have seen one of the pit bulls walking around the area.

One employee said the dog, which is white with brown patches, did not appear to be very aggressive. However, he said the other dog appeared to be aggressive and usually was chained.

Employees said they never reported the loose dog to authorities because it did not cause any problems in the area.

The pit bulls also ran around the lot of a landscaping business next door to the residence but never bothered any people, an employee said.