Police said they saw dogs mauling the child when they responded to the scene on Agate Street around 5:20 p.m.
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"They could clearly see the child laying in the middle of the living room floor and said the dogs were around the child, attacking the child, and that's when they had to take immediate action," Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said.
Officers then fired seven shots into the home, killing one dog and wounding two others. This allowed officers to grab the badly wounded child.
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"The main concern was to get to the child, who was completely bleeding from the head, face body, both arms, and legs," Small said.
The child was rushed to St. Christopher's Hospital for Children where he later died.
Officials said the boy's 23-year-old aunt, who was babysitting the child, was also injured while trying to protect him.
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Investigators said they will determine if possible reckless endangerment and child endangerment charges are warranted against the homeowners for keeping the five pit bulls inside their house.
Officials do not know whether or not the dogs were kept in cages and escaped. It was unclear if the dogs were being trained for fighting.
Animal Care and Control Officers took the pit bulls, including the two that were wounded.