The Eyrie

YULEE, FL — Neighbors in a Pirates Wood subdivision were left rattled Thursday after a family shooting in Yulee killed a father and his adult son, including a fatal exchange of gunfire between the son and Nassau County deputies. Authorities said the call began as a reported home invasion shortly after 2 a.m. on Doubloon Way.

When deputies arrived, they heard gunshots coming from inside the home, Sheriff Bill Leeper said. The scene quickly escalated, ending with one man dead outside the home and another found dead inside. A woman was also discovered unharmed.

Deputies say gunfire started before officers entered the home

The Nassau County Sheriff’s Office said deputies first responded to a report of a home invasion. Once they reached the property, they heard shots inside and went back to their patrol cars to get rifles, according to Leeper.

Leeper said deputies then saw the son running near a wooded area. The man turned, fired a handgun at deputies and was shot in return. Deputies then moved to give aid, including applying tourniquets, but he died at the scene.

No deputies were hurt in the exchange, and officials said there was no active danger to the surrounding community after the shooting ended.

Father found dead inside while woman escapes injury

After the gunfire outside, deputies went back into the residence and found the father dead from gunshot wounds. A woman inside the home was not injured, and authorities said she was cooperating with investigators.

Officials did not immediately release the names of the father or son, and they did not say what led up to the violence inside the house. The focus for investigators remained on determining how the confrontation began and what happened in the moments before deputies arrived.

The sequence left the neighborhood stunned, with one family losing two members in the same violent episode and a third person left unharmed but at the center of a major law enforcement response.

Two agencies are now reviewing different parts of the case

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the deputy-involved shooting, while the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office is separately investigating the shooting inside the home. That split response is common when officers use deadly force during an incident that also includes a separate crime scene.

Officials have said the woman was cooperative and that there was no continuing threat after the scene was secured. The investigation now appears to be focused on piecing together the timeline, including the reported home invasion call, the shots heard by deputies, and the exchange near the wooded area.

Neighbors learned of the violence through a warning on social media

Residents in the area said they first heard about the incident through a neighborhood Facebook post urging people to avoid the street. For many, the early-morning police activity was both confusing and frightening.

Kim Baldus, who lives nearby, said she could not make sense of the violence. She said she did not understand why anyone would want to kill another person, much less fire at a deputy who was trying to help.

Another neighbor said seeing the law enforcement vehicles in the neighborhood was alarming. The person said the scene was the kind of event they did not expect to see again for decades.

A quiet neighborhood confronts the aftermath of an early-morning shooting

Pirates Wood is now dealing with the aftermath of a case that began with a reported break-in and ended with two deaths and a major multi-agency investigation. Deputies said they responded quickly after receiving the call, but the situation changed fast once they reached the home.

For neighbors, the event shattered the sense of calm on a street where serious violence felt remote. The sheriff’s office has not said whether any charges are expected or provided further details about the events that led to the deadly confrontation.

As investigators continue their work, residents are left with a scene that unfolded before dawn and a neighborhood memory that will likely linger long after the police vehicles leave.