Social media users are calling for the arrest of a white woman who fatally shot a mother of four following a dispute over an iPad. According to civil rights attorney Ben Crump, on June 2, Ajike “AJ” Owens was shot and killed after she got into a heated dispute with her white neighbor in Ocala, Florida.
Tension flared when Owens’ children were playing in a field next to the suspect’s apartment. The 58-year-old white woman then “began yelling at them to get off her land and calling them racial slurs.”
Flustered and scared, the children ran and accidentally left their iPad behind, which the woman took, according to Crump’s statement.
When one of the children went back to retrieve the device, the white suspect allegedly threw the iPad, hitting Owen’s son and cracking the screen. After she learned about what happened, Owens walked across the street to confront her neighbor, but things took a turn for the worst.
“She knocked on the door, and at that point, the woman allegedly shot through the door, hitting AJ, who later died from her injuries,” Crump penned.
According to the civil rights attorney, no arrests have been made for the late mother’s “unjust killing.”
Authorities have not made any arrests due to Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” Law.
During a press conference June 5, Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said that Owens and the shooter had a longstanding neighborhood feud before the incident. The official clarified that they were working to gather more information from witnesses and Owens’ children about the deadly incident.
Authorities in Ocala are currently investigating whether Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law applies to the shooting. Under the legislation, Floridians can defend themselves with deadly force if they believe they are in danger.
“That law has specific instructions for us and law enforcement, and any time that we think or perceive or believe that … might come into play, we cannot make an arrest,” Woods said Monday. “The law specifically says that, and what we have to rule out is whether the deadly force was justified or not before we can even make the arrest.”
As officials work together to gather more information about the shooting, Woods promised community members that he would do everything in his power to restore justice and peace for Owens’ family.
“I wish our shooter would have called us instead of taking actions into her own hands,” he added.
Owens’ mother says the shooter killed her in front of her son.
During an interview on MSNBC’s The Reid Out Monday, Owens’ mother Pamela Dias, said her daughter was acting as a protective mother when she went across the street to confront her neighbor.
“She simply knocked on the door,” the frustrated matriarch told host Joy Reid. “My daughter did as I said any parent would do. Wanted to talk to the adult to find out why she had his belongings. Why she threw items at her children.”
The grieving mother, who identified the shooter as Susan, also revealed that Owens’s 9-year-old son was standing right next to her when she was gunned down.
Social media users are demanding the arrest of the suspect online following an iPad dispute.
Some Twitter users are angered by the slow investigation and the suspect’s pending arrest. A few people believe Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law should not apply to the incident because the armed neighbor shot the mother of four through a closed door.
A few social media sleuths identified the alleged suspect as Susan Lorincz but authorities have yet to reveal the full name of the shooter.
A GoFundMe has been launched to help Owen’s family with funeral costs and educational expenses for her children. The campaign website described the Florida native as a hardworking individual who “loved her children unconditionally.”
“She was a single mother whose life centered around her children. She was the Team Mom for her children’s football/cheerleading teams. She excelled professionally as a manager in the Restaurant/Hospitality industry,” the fundraiser stated. “She was a devoted Christian who believed in bringing her kids up in a supportive Christian environment. After being a devoted mother, she was a devoted friend that took friendships to heart. There wasn’t anything that she wouldn’t do for those near and dear to her heart.”
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