ENTERPRISE, Fla. — Volusia County residents living in Enterprise are looking for answers from the group home where a 14-year-old and 12-year-old ran away, leading to a shootout with deputies two weeks ago.

On Thursday, State Attorney R.J. Larizza announced 14-year-old Nicole Jackson is being charged as an adult with attempted first degree murder of a law enforcement officer, armed burglary and felony criminal mischief.

The 12-year-old boy faces the same charges but will be tried as a juvenile. The two are accused of breaking into a home, stealing guns there and firing at responding deputies outside. 

Residents who live nearby, including Riley Nutt, organized and held a community discussion Thursday night to talk to Florida United Methodist Children’s Home staff about safety concerns, but no one from the home showed up or accepted the invitation.

“I have been personally assaulted, we have had break-ins to our home, we have had the post office vandalized and ransacked and somebody tried to set a fire behind it one time. So I really wish they were here to speak to us and tell us where we are going to go to be a safer community because of what comes into their gates,” Nutt said.

The residents are forming a team in the community to try and get answers from the group home about its future plans.

When asked for a response, we received a statement late Thursday evening from the director of marketing and communications at Florida United Methodist Children’s Home:

"The Florida United Methodist Children’s Home wants to acknowledge the concerns some members of our community are expressing regarding the recent events involving children who had been in our Emergency Shelter Program (ESP). The ESP represented a very small portion of the children placed at our facility.

"We have decided not to take any new placements of children through the ESP and this program has been discontinued. Currently, two children remain on our campus who were placed with us through the ESP; however, they are scheduled to be relocated to other facilities by the end of the month.

"We feel it is important to stress that we are on the frontlines of trying to provide a safe, secure and nurturing environment for children who desperately need our services. Every one of these children is a child of God and they deserve our mercy and grace.

"We are thankful to be a part of this community and very grateful for the many kind words of support we have received."