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Mother Of Four Shot After Yearslong Feud Over Children Playing In Field, Police Say

Screenshot by Marion County Sheriffs Office Via The Daily Caller

John Oyewale Contributor
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A neighbor allegedly shot and killed a 35-year-old mother of four Friday in Ocala, Florida, after a yearslong feud, police said Monday.

Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said in a press conference Monday that the neighbor allegedly threw a pair of skates that hit one of Ajike Owens’ children who had been playing near her residence. After a heated confrontation, the neighbor shot Owens through the door of her house, Woods said. Owen later died in a hospital. (RELATED: ‘I Thought He Was Dead’: Eagle Scout Came To Aid Of Teen Shot By Homeowner)

The sheriff revealed that there had been a simmering neighborhood feud between the alleged shooter and Owens since January 16, 2021. Multiple phone calls were made to police regarding children playing in front of the alleged shooter’s residence or on her property, Woods said.

Shutterstock/PoliceTape

Shutterstock/PoliceTape

Woods vowed to provide “all of my resources to come to justice for this case; to ensure that the family sees it.” He also expressed concern for the children affected and called for patience as officers would have to judge “whether the deadly force was justified or not before we can even make the arrest,” in keeping with Florida’s Stand Your Ground law.

The alleged shooter is being questioned and is cooperating with authorities, Woods said. (RELATED: Woman Accidentally Pulls Into Wrong Driveway, Gets Fatally Shot)

Lawyer Ben Crump, who is representing Owens’ family, said the alleged shooter is white, CNN reported. The victim’s mother alleged that the neighbor had called the family and children racial slurs, according to CNN.