Inmates at North Carolina prison kill man convicted of murdering toddler

24-year-old convicted murderer Semajs Short died Tuesday afternoon at the Bertie Correctional Institution in Windsor, North Carolina, after he was assaulted by a group of other inmates at the prison and killed, according to local authorities.

Short, who was serving a 31-year sentence for the murder of a toddler, was attacked in a housing area at the prison by other offenders at 2:14 pm Tuesday.

First responders at the prison performed life-saving measures until local paramedics arrived. However, they could not resuscitate the offender. Short was pronounced dead by paramedics at approximately 2:37 pm local time.

Three other inmates were hurt during the group assault, the state's Department of Public Safety said via press release. Their injuries, however, have been described as not life-threatening and they're being treated at "an outside medical facility."

The prison was placed on modified lockdown as investigators worked to discover what happened during the group's attack. No staff members were injured.

Short was convicted of second-degree murder in Halifax County on April 3, 2017. He was charged in the 2014 shooting death of two-year-old Dy'Unanna Anderson, WNCN-TV reported. Short was 17-years-old at the time of the girl's death. The child's slaying was in retaliation for the murder of 15-year-old Keyuon Garner, WRAL reported. Short was projected to be released on May 7, 2042.

The local Windsor Police Department and the State Bureau of Investigation are investigating the incident. The state's Department of Public Safety is cooperating in the investigation and will seek criminal prosecution against any offender involved in the altercation, according to Tuesday's press release.