Sheriff: Neighbor feud over playing children ends with Florida mother dead
A neighborhood feud over children at play ended in the fatal shooting of a Florida mother, officials said
OCALA, Fla. – A two-and-a-half-year neighborhood feud over children at play ended in the fatal shooting of a Florida mother, officials said Monday.
Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said at a news conference Monday that officers responding to a burglary call at an Ocala home Friday night found Ajike Owens with gunshot wounds. The 35-year-old woman was taken to a nearby hospital, where she died. Ocala is approximately 70 miles (110 kilometers) northwest of Orlando.
Woods said lawmakers have responded to the argument between Owens and the woman who eventually shot her at least half a dozen times since January 2021. The sheriff’s office has not arrested or identified the shooter. Woods said investigators were working with prosecutors and needed to investigate potential self-defense claims before they could pursue criminal charges.
Before the shooting, Owens’ children were playing in a field near the shooter’s home, officials said. At one point, the woman yelled at the children and threw a pair of skates, which hit one of the children, Woods said. When Owens later confronted the woman at her home, an argument ensued, and the woman shot Owens through the front door, investigators said.
