14-year-old wounded, one other baby in custody after gunfight with deputies | Information

A teenager is in critical condition and a 12-year-old is on remand after the two broke into a house, stole firearms and exchanged shots with law enforcement officers in Enterprise, the sheriff’s office said.

Sheriff Mike Chitwood said a 12-year-old and a 14-year-old fled the Florida United Methodist Children’s Home in Enterprise at around 5:00 p.m. on June 1.

MEPs are particularly concerned about the 12-year-old, said Chitwood, because he has a severe form of diabetes that requires him to take insulin every four hours.

Deputies stayed on the youth for some time before they found them.

“Every time the MPs run into these two little desperados, they run away from us,” Chitwood told media representatives at a nightly press conference in Enterprise on June 1.

Around 7:30 p.m., Chitwood said, MPs were alerted to the noise of glass breaking in a house on 1050 Enterprise Osteen Road. As they approached the house, Chitwood said, MPs saw signs of forced entry and called the homeowners to see if anyone could have access to the house.

The homeowners informed MPs, Chitwood said, that no one should be home and that there were three firearms inside – an AK-47, a pump gun, and a handgun – along with about 200 rounds of ammunition.

“As MPs surround the house trying to develop a relationship,” said Chitwood, “they get shot at.”

Chitwood said MPs were faced with gunshots and threats several times between 7:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. An entire AK-47 magazine, Chitwood said, had been emptied.

Looking for cover behind trees, he said, MPs shot back when the 14-year-old, armed with the pump gun, got out for the second time and pointed the gun at the MPs.

At around 9 p.m., according to Chitwood, police shot the 14-year-old several times and injured her chest, stomach and arm. At 11pm on Tuesday, she was “fighting for her life” in the hospital, according to Chitwood.

While some MPs approached the wounded 14-year-old for emergency treatment, others dealt with the 12-year-old who was armed with the AK-47. According to Chitwood, he immediately dropped the gun and was arrested.

No MPs were injured, Chitwood said.

“They made laps, several, several laps, before they had no choice but to return fire,” he said, and later added, “They are risking their own lives so it doesn’t end the way it was. I can’t imagine what’s going through their hearts tonight after they shot a 14 year old. “

During the news conference on the incident, Chitwood targeted the state juvenile justice system, lawmakers and organizations advocating for young offenders, including FAITH, an alliance of spiritual leaders.

“I don’t know what to say. Where did we go wrong? [a] 12 year old and 14 year old think it’s okay to take law enforcement? What the hell is the youth welfare office doing sending these kids to places they can’t handle? ”Chitwood said.

He later added, “That teenage bullshit you hear from these FAITH groups; They have to worry about what is going on in their pulpit in their church, not what is going on in the goddamn streets when 14 year olds and 12 year olds arm themselves. ”

According to the sheriff, deputies were called to the Enterprise Children’s Home 289 times in 2020.

The Sheriff’s Office identified the teenagers, but The Beacon doesn’t use their names because of their age.

The information about the incident is preliminary, Chitwood told the news media, based on radio interviews and information from MPs. More information, including body camera footage, will be released today June 2nd.

This is a developing story and more information will be released as it becomes available.