By Zack Linly
https://newsone.com/
On Saturday, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office of Ocala, Florida, announced via social media a fatal shooting that occurred the night before. Not much was revealed about Friday night’s shooting outside of the report that “MCSO deputies responded to the 1600 block of SW 108th Lane” after the incident was called in and that when they arrived, “deputies located an adult female who had been shot.” The victim later died from her injuries at the hospital.
But, according to famed civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who has been retained by the victim’s family, the woman who was shot and killed — Ajike “AJ” Owens — was a Black mother of four who had confronted a racist white woman who allegedly called her children racial slurs while shouting at them to get off of her property.
“On Friday, June 2, Owens’ children were playing in a field next to an Ocala apartment complex when an unidentified 58-year-old white woman reportedly began yelling at them to get off her land and calling them racial slurs,” a news release circulated by Ben Crump Law, PLLC reads. “The children left but accidentally left an iPad behind, which the woman took. When one of the children went to her residence to retrieve it, she threw it, hitting the boy and cracking the screen. After AJ’s children informed her of what happened, she walked across the street with her kids to speak with the woman. She knocked on the door, and at that point, the woman allegedly shot through the door, hitting AJ, who later died from her injuries. The woman responsible has not yet been identified, arrested, or charged with anything by law enforcement.”
The sheriff’s office claimed in its Facebook post that “all parties involved [in the shooting] are accounted for and are being interviewed,” so one can easily assume that if it’s true that the shooter wasn’t arrested or charged, she’s another violent bigot being protected under Florida’s infamous “stand your ground” law.
The incident also sounds eerily similar to the recent shooting of 16-year-old Ralph Yarl, who was shot by alleged racist Andrew Lester in Kansas City, Missouri, after the teen went to the wrong house to pick up his brothers. Fortunately, Yarl survived his attack, unlike Owens.
As for Owens’ shooting, the MCSO said it will “provide more information as it becomes available.”
Update:
On Monday, Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods addressed “concerns” about the shooting he received from residents and denied accusations that his office “wasn’t doing anything” or “wasn’t moving fast enough.”
“I want the family to know I am here to provide all of my resources to make sure justice is served in this case,” Woods said before noting that an ongoing “neighborhood feud” between Owens and her alleged killer had caused deputies to be called to the area six to eight times in the past. Woods said the alleged “feud” between neighbors was over Owens’ children, and that the shooting was witnessed by two children who haven’t been interviewed by investigators yet “because they’re not heartless.”
The sheriff also confirmed that there was a confrontation between Owens’ children and the unidentified woman prior to the shooting.
Obviously, no alleged “feud” explains why a Black mother of four is no longer alive. We need answers and accountability now!
