An 8-year-old Florida boy was “brutally mauled and killed” after he stopped riding his bike to pet two dogs at the entrance of a Florida neighborhood on Monday, according to Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood.

Michael Millett was riding bikes with a friend in the Berry Ridge neighborhood in DeLand on Monday at around 4:55 p.m. when he was “maliciously mauled” to death at the scene by two dogs who appeared to be friendly at first, Chitwood said.

“It goes from petting, and a very friendly encounter, to the dogs becoming very, very, very vicious and very violent,” Chitwood said in a news conference on Tuesday.

Millett was bitten 12 times by the two dogs, which have been identified as a Pit Bull Terrier and possibly a Catahoula, or some other herding breed.

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Chitwood said he wasn’t sure how long the attack lasted, but that he does not think the little boy suffered for a long time as his injuries were “just horrific.”

“We are going to do everything humanly possible to hold the owner of these dogs responsible, and we are going to do everything possible to make sure that these dogs are destroyed,” the sheriff said.

The dogs were ultimately taken into custody by Volusia County Animal Services after being chased back to their property by deputies, and VCAS Director Angela Miedema said the agency is waiting on the owner to sign the dogs over for “humane euthanasia.”

“Every one of his 12 bite wounds have been swabbed for DNA so we can conclusively say that these two dogs that they have in custody are the dogs responsible for Michael’s death,” the sheriff said.

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The owner, who has the ability to appeal with due process, is known to law enforcement and has been arrested nine times in the past for various charges related to drugs, domestic violence and assault, according to Chitwood.

She was not on her property at the time of the attack or when the dogs ran back to their home, which is approximately half a mile from where Millett was killed.

Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood showed bodycam video of deputies approaching the two dogs responsible for killing 8-year-old Michael Millett. (Volusia County Sheriff’s Office / bodycam)

State attorneys are involved in the investigation and Chitwood said his priorities are to make sure the owner is charged and the dogs are “destroyed.”

“She needs to be held accountable,” Chitwood said. “We have to prove negligence as the bottom bar.”

When deputies and animal control officers arrived at the property to confiscate the dogs, they noted that the property was not fully fenced in, and the dogs had the ability to get out easily, which was confirmed by neighbors who told authorities that the dogs regularly ran astray.

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“As we went door to door last night, we heard horrific stories of how the dogs are always at large, of how they destroyed chickens,” Chitwood said on Tuesday, adding that the dogs were possibly involved in another incident in another county.

Despite reports that the dogs were often out roaming, Chitwood said there were not any 911 calls to the sheriff’s office or animal services about the animals or the address they live at.

Volusia County Animal Services Director Angela Miedema said the two dogs were confiscated at their home in a humane manner. (Volusia County Sheriff’s Office / bodycam)

“Clearly, this just didn’t happen in a vacuum,” Chitwood said. “These dogs have been terrorizing the neighborhood for a while and nobody decided to call us.”

The only 911 call related to the dogs that Chitwood was aware of is the one made on Monday reporting the attack on Millett, in which his mother can be heard screaming for help in the background.

She reportedly jumped on top of him to stop the attack and attempted CPR, which was unsuccessful as he died at the scene. The dogs never attacked the mother or the other kids in the area, and Chitwood said he isn’t sure why Millett was the only one bitten.

A dog bite fatality expert is working with the county medical examiner to determine more details about the deadly incident, including which dog attacked first and which one caused the most bites.

“Pet ownership is an enormous responsibility,” Miedema said. “You have a lot of responsibilities as a dog owner to keep your animal confined to your property and ensure the public’s safety, as well as ensure things like socialization and training to make sure that this animal is not a threat to anybody else.”

Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood (right) and Volusia County Animal Services Director Angela Miedema (left) said they are working to make sure the owner of the dogs is held accountable for the deadly attack. (Volusia County Sheriff’s Office / Facebook)

A GoFundMe set up for Millett’s parents by other family members described his death as a “tragic accident” and devastating.

“Our family is devastated with the loss of Michael,” read the fundraiser, which has amassed more than $40,000. “He was incredibly smart, funny, caring, loving, and so adventurous. Michael’s contagious laugh and light will be missed tremendously.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, has ordered flags at state buildings to be raised to full-staff for President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20.

This comes despite the official order by President Biden after the death of former President Jimmy Carter on Dec. 29 that flags at all government and public buildings and grounds across the country fly at half-staff for a 30-day mourning period, which just happens to include Inauguration Day.

It is a tradition when a former president dies to order a 30-day mourning period and order flags at half-staff.

Biden said the U.S. flag “should be displayed at half-staff at the White House and on all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions.”

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Governors across the country issued their own orders regarding how to fly flags in their respective states on Inauguration Day.

DeSantis joins other Republican governors who will break tradition and fly flags at full-staff before the mourning period ends Jan. 28. He ordered that all flags at the Florida Capitol and across all state buildings, installations and grounds to be raised to full height on Jan. 20.

“On this unique occasion, where we simultaneously celebrate the service of an incoming president and commend the service of a former president, our nation’s flag will be prominently displayed at full-staff to honor the tradition of our founding fathers and the sacrifices made by those who have served to ensure the torch of liberty continues to bum strong,” DeSantis said in his order.

“The following day, on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, all flags at state buildings, installations, and grounds across the State of Florida will once again be lowered to half-staff to honor President Carter’s service,” the governor said.

Former President Jimmy Carter. (Photo via Emma Woodhead/Fox Digital)

House Speaker Mike Johnson also ordered flags at the U.S. Capitol to be flown at full-staff on Inauguration Day.

Trump has criticized the potential for flags to be displayed at half-staff for his inauguration following Carter’s death.

“The Democrats are all ‘giddy’ about our magnificent American Flag potentially being at ‘half mast’ during my Inauguration,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Jan. 3. “They think it’s so great, and are so happy about it because, in actuality, they don’t love our Country, they only think about themselves.”

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at the Republican Party of Iowa’s 2023 Lincoln Dinner at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, Iowa, on July 28, 2023. (Photo by SERGIO FLORES/AFP via Getty Images)

“Look at what they’ve done to our once GREAT America over the past four years – It’s a total mess! In any event, because of the death of President Jimmy Carter, the Flag may, for the first time ever during an Inauguration of a future President, be at half mast,” he continued. “Nobody wants to see this, and no American can be happy about it. Let’s see how it plays out. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

Flags were flown at half-staff when former President Nixon was sworn-in for his second term in 1973 after Nixon ordered the flags to be lowered following the death of former President Truman.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., has been placing calls and informing people that she is likely to mount a gubernatorial bid, Axios reported, citing D.C. and Tennessee sources.

State and federal elected figures have been placing calls in support of Blackburn’s potential run, a source noted, according to the outlet.

Fox News Digital emailed Blackburn’s campaign on Wednesday to request a comment from the lawmaker, but did not receive a response in time for publication.

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Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs indicated in a post on X that he will back Blackburn for the role if she runs.

“Senator Blackburn has done an outstanding job as a state senator, U.S. congresswoman, and U.S. Senator. She would do an equally outstanding job as Governor and would have my full support if that’s what she decides,” Jacobs noted.

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Blackburn, who has served in the Senate since early 2019, just won re-election to another six-year term in 2024 — her current term ends in early 2031.

“The 2025 Tennessee Legislative Session kicked off day ONE today!” Blackburn declared in a tweet on Tuesday. “It’s time to get to work, protect our state’s conservative values, and fight for all Tennesseans.”

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Current Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican who has been in office since early 2019, cannot run in the 2026 contest, which leaves the field wide open for other GOP figures interested in vying for the job.