A years-long neighbor dispute about children playing ended fatally last Friday in Ocala (Florida). Ajike Owens was shot in the doorway as she allegedly went to retrieve an iPad. She died of her injuries in hospital a few hours later.
The feud between the two neighbors had been going on for more than two years. Officers had to come by at least six times during that period to calm things down, Sheriff Billy Woods said during a press conference.
The puppets started dancing as the Owens children played outside in the field. For an unknown reason, the neighbor allegedly pelted them with a pair of roller skates from her apartment window. She also hit one of the children. When they then walked away, they left behind an iPad. It was confiscated by the neighbour.
One of the boys came to demand the iPad back, but the neighbor hadn’t understood it that way. She threw the expensive device to the ground, breaking the screen. When Owens also appeared at her door, the fatal shot was fired.
No arrest
The perpetrator has not yet been arrested. First it must be clarified whether there was no question of lawful self-defense.
However, according to well-known civil rights lawyer Ben Crump, racism was also involved. He talks about an “unjustified murder”.
Meanwhile, Owens’ mother seeks justice for her grandchildren. “My daughter was shot dead with her 9-year-old son standing next to her,” said Pamela Dias. “She didn’t have a gun with her. She was not an immediate threat to anyone.”
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