Killing of Ajike Owens

On June 2, 2023, in Ocala, Florida, Ajike "AJ" Shantrell Owens^[1] was shot and killed by a neighbor. The perpetrator was a 58-year-old woman. Owens was knocking on the perpetrator's door after altercations occurred between Owen's children and the perpetrator in a field nearby. The perpetrator shot Owens through the door. Police were already responding to "a trespassing call" when they received another 911 call about a shooting at the same address. They found Owens injured and took her to the hospital where she was pronounced dead.^[2][3][4] On August 16, 2024, the perpetrator was found guilty of manslaughter.^[5]

Owens, her family and the 58-year-old shooter had contentious history between them before the fatal shooting. According to Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods there were about half a dozen calls concerning an ongoing neighborhood feud that deputies had responded to since January 2021, that involved the parties.^[6] A neighbor living across from the perpetrator stated that the perpetrator was angry all of the time due to the Owens children playing outside, and that the perpetrator would say "nasty things to them".^[7]

Police interviewed Owens' children along with neighbors who overheard the accused arguing with the children. They reported that during the argument the perpetrator threw a roller skate at the children, hitting one of them in the foot, and also swung an umbrella at another one of them. After the children told their mother about the incident, Owens went to the perpetrator's home to confront her. She was with her 10-year-old son when she knocked on the perpetrator's door, and when she got shot.^[8] Civil rights attorney Ben Crump and Anthony D. Thomas, who represent Owens' family, said the perpetrator used racial slurs directed at the children who, like Owens, are black.^[7]

The perpetrator claimed she was acting in self defense and claimed Owens was trying to break down her door. She also claimed in the past Owens had tried to attack her.^[3][9] A neighbor from across the street heard Owens' son yelling "They shot my mama, they shot my mama" and ran over to start giving CPR.^[7] The perpetrator called 911 twice: the first was a trespassing call after she confronted the children, and the second was after the perpetrator shot Owens.^[1] Deputies were already responding to the first 911, when the second came in. The deputies found Owens laying in the grass, suffering from a gunshot wound, with Owens later being pronounced dead at the hospital.^[10]

During an interview on June 5, 2023 Marion County Sheriff Woods stated they would have to consider Florida's Stand Your Ground law before making any arrests and had primarily only heard from the perpetrator and were still working on contacting and interviewing Owen's children.^[11] After conducting interviews, and reviewing surveillance footage and digital evidence, the police arrested the perpetrator, Susan Lorincz, a 58-year old white insurance agent from Marion County, on June 7, 2023, and charged her with manslaughter with a firearm, culpable negligence, battery and two counts of assault.^[3][9][12] On the matter of whether Florida's Stand Your Ground law applied, Sheriff Billy Woods said in a press conference that "This situation is a prime example of when it was not justified. It was simply a killing."^[12]

On June 6, a little over 30 protestors gathered outside the Marion County Judicial Center to demand the arrest of the shooter. Chief prosecutor and state attorney William Gladson, met with protestors and urged them to be calm indicating that the investigation was still on going and they did not want to compromise it.^[7]

On August 16, 2024, the perpetrator was found guilty of manslaughter by an all-white six person jury, after 2 hours of deliberation.^[5]

In the aftermath of the shooting many proponents and family members of Owens called for a reevaluation of the Stand Your Ground rules, along with potential clarification on the rule. A law professor at William and Mary Law School indicated when asked that she was concerned that there was a widespread misunderstanding of the rule, and that it had turned into a "shoot first think later" belief by some.^[13] The GoFundMe page that was set up by the Owens family after the shooting indicated that they had partnered with national advocacy groups to promote change of Stand Your Ground laws.^[10]

In a statement, Owens' mother Pamela Dias stated that the child standing next to Owen when she died, was consumed with grief and guilt that he was unable to successfully perform CPR on Owens. According to Dias the child told her "Grandma, grandma. I couldn't save her."^[11]

The executive director of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, told reporters that she was absolutely heartbroken over the shooting and that it was a senseless act in result of lax gun laws and culture of shoot first.^[7]

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