Last Updated on: 20th July 2023, 06:12 pm
Florida Mother Ajike Owens Was Shot Dead By A Neighbor
A Florida mother-of-four was fatally shot by a neighbor on Friday after the two became involved in a years-long argument over children playing outside, authorities said.
Ajike Owens was thrown out of a neighbor’s door and eventually died of his injuries at a local hospital Friday night, Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said at a news conference Monday.
Owens, 35, and the gunman, identified only as a woman, came into contact when Owens’ children were playing in a field in the city of Ocala. The sheriff claimed the shooting ended their more than two-year feud.
A family member of Owens said her son was with her when she was killed.
As investigators and prosecutors investigate possible self-defense charges, Woods said the shooter has yet to be arrested.
Owens and the shooter have been involved in numerous fights since January 2021, Woods said, with officers calling at least half a dozen times related to the confrontation.
“I wish our shooter had called us instead of taking the action into his own hands,” Woods said.
“I wish Ms. Owens had called us and hoped we would never get to the point where we are today.”
Before the shots were fired, Owens’ children were playing outside in the field near the shooter’s home, authorities said. The woman yelled at the children and then threw a pair of skates at them, hitting one of the children, Woods said.
Owens then approached the woman at her home after her 9-year-old son alerted her, sparking the argument and then the shooting, investigators said.
“There was a lot of aggression from both of them, back and forth,” Wood told investigators.
“Whether it’s the knocking on doors, the knocking on walls, and threats. And then, at that moment, Mrs. Owens was shot through the door.”
Woods said he’s heard complaints that the case isn’t moving fast enough. He pointed out that Florida’s “Hold On” law means you can’t arrest the woman unless you can show that the shooter didn’t act in self-defense.
While the shooter was being questioned by investigators, Owens’ children have not yet been questioned by the sheriff’s office. Bereaved siblings are likely to turn to child specialists.
Renowned civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, who represents the Owens family, accused the shooter of insulting the children before Owens knocked on his door in a statement. All of Owens’ children are black.
The sheriff’s office did not confirm that racial slurs were used or were a contributing factor.
Owens’ mother, Pamela Dias, said at her daughter’s funeral service that she wanted justice for her family.
“My daughter, the mother of my grandchildren, was shot while her nine-year-old son was standing next to her,” Dias said.
“He had no guns. He posed no immediate threat to anyone.”
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