The victim, Ajike Owens, 35, had gone to her neighbor's apartment in Ocala when the unfortunate incident took place. Earlier, the neighbor had shouted at Owens' children while they were playing nearby and even threw a pair of skates that struck one of them. These events led to the horrifying outcome that claimed Owens' life.
From Newser:
Deputies responding to a trespassing call at the apartment Friday night found Owens suffering from gunshot wounds. The mother of four was taken to a nearby hospital, where she died. Ocala is about 70 miles (110 kilometers) northwest of Orlando.
“I wish our shooter would have called us instead of taking actions into her own hands,” Woods said. “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.”
Since January 2021, Woods said, deputies responded at least a half-dozen times in connection with the feuding between Owens and the woman who shot her. The sheriff’s office hasn’t arrested or identified the shooter.
Woods said detectives are working with the State Attorney’s Office and must investigate possible self-defense claims before they can move forward with any possible criminal charges.
The sheriff pointed out that because of Florida’s “stand your ground” law, he can’t legally make an arrest unless he can prove the shooter did not act in self-defense.
Before the shooting, Owens’ children had been playing in a field near the shooter’s apartment. When Owens later confronted the woman at her apartment, an argument ensued, and the woman shot Owens through the front door, according to police.
It is truly a tragic sequence of events, and one can't help but feel that if law enforcement had intervened earlier, this heartbreaking outcome could have been prevented.
If the situation had been handled more effectively, these innocent children would still have their mother with them today.
