The life of a black mother of four was abruptly ended on Friday, June 2, when she was shot and killed by her white neighbor. This tragic incident occurred following a long-standing dispute over the neighbor’s objections to the woman’s children playing outside.
The victim, Ajike Owens, was shot through the neighbor’s door and succumbed to her injuries at a nearby hospital later that Friday night, according to Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods in a press conference held on Monday, June 5.
The confrontation between Owens, aged 35, and the shooter originated from her children playing in a field in the city of Ocala. This fatal shooting marked the culmination of a feud that had persisted for over two years, as reported by the sheriff.
Prior to the gunfire, Owens’ children were playing in the field near the shooter’s apartment, and the woman allegedly yelled at the kids and hurled a pair of skates at them, hitting one of the children, explained Woods.
Subsequently, Owens approached the woman at her apartment after being informed by her 9-year-old child, leading to an altercation and ultimately the shooting, as per investigators.
The shooter’s identity has been withheld by the police. However, neighbors have circulated her photos online and disclosed her name as Susan Lorincz, a professional in the insurance industry.
A relative of Owens revealed that her son was beside her when the fatal shooting occurred.
The shooter remains unarrested, as detectives and the State Attorney’s Office have deemed the shooting to potentially be an act of self-defense, which is lawful in the state of Florida, as per Sheriff Woods.
Owens and the shooter had been involved in numerous altercations since January 2021, with law enforcement officers being summoned at least six times due to their clashes, acknowledged Woods.
“I wish our shooter would have called us instead of taking actions into her own hands,” Woods expressed. “I wish Ms. Owens would have called us in the hopes we could have never gotten to the point at which we are here today.
“There was a lot of aggressiveness from both of them, back and forth,” Wood informed that the shooter conveyed to investigators. “Whether it be banging on the doors, banging on the walls and threats being made. And then at that moment is when Ms. Owens was shot through the door.”
Woods highlighted that Florida’s “stand your ground” law prevents the arrest of the woman unless evidence disproving self-defense is established.
While the shooter has been questioned by investigators, Owens’ children have not been interviewed yet by the sheriff’s office, as experts in child psychology are expected to assist the grieving siblings.
Renowned civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, who is representing the Owens’ family, accused the shooter of using racial slurs directed at the children prior to Owens’ encounter with her, as stated in a release. Both Owens and her children are of black ethnicity.
Law enforcement has not verified if racial slurs were uttered or if race played a role in the tragedy.
At a vigil held for her daughter, Pamela Dias, Owens’ mother, expressed her desire for justice for her family.
“My daughter, my grandchildren’s mother, was shot and killed with her 9-year-old son standing next to her,” mourned Dias. “She had no weapon. She posed no imminent threat to anyone.”