“In his soul, in his heart, it’s his fault that his older brother, his baby sister, and his baby brother, as well as himself, will never see their mother again,” Dias said. “Because he went home and told his mother what this woman did to him.”
In Ocala, Florida, a woman has been apprehended by authorities for allegedly shooting her neighbor through a door, which tragically led to the death of a 35-year-old mother. Following the arrest made on Tuesday, the family of the victim, Ajike “A.J.” Owens, responded to the news on Wednesday. While relieved that an arrest has finally been made, they expressed a desire for it to have occurred sooner, considering the incident took place four days ago when Owens was shot and killed in front of her children.
“Her kids were everything to her, and that’s all been ripped away from her and those four children,” Owens’ mother, Pamela Dias, said.
Currently, the family’s primary concern is seeking justice and ensuring the well-being of Ajike Owens’ four children, who are aged 3, 8, 9, and 12.
“It is not fair that their grandmother whom they love has to be the one to kiss and hold and wipe away those tears,” Dias said. “They want their mother to do that.”
Dias expressed the profound loss experienced by all her grandchildren due to the tragic death of their mother, emphasizing the heavy burden they now bear. Specifically, Owens’ 9-year-old child was present with her at the time of the devastating incident.
“In his soul, in his heart, it’s his fault that his older brother, his baby sister, and his baby brother, as well as himself, will never see their mother again,” Dias said. “Because he went home and told his mother what this woman did to him.”
According to Dias, Owens’ 12-year-old child holds himself responsible for the untimely demise of their mother.
“He couldn’t ‘save her.’ He couldn’t ‘give her CPR.’ His words were, ‘Grandma, I couldn’t save her. I tried to give her CPR,’” Dias said.
Crump emphatically emphasized that the children are not at fault and have done nothing wrong in relation to the tragic incident.
“They had every right to be a child and play like kids. Black kids should not have to bear a heavier burden than white kids. They just wanted to get their iPad back,” Crump said.
The attorney representing the family indicated that the alleged shooter had a documented history of provoking the neighborhood and harassing the victim’s children. According to a neighbor’s account, Susan Louise Lorincz had been observed taunting other children in the area, using derogatory language and even reporting them to the police.
“[Lorincz] used to come outside all the time and harass our kids,” the neighbor, Phyllis Wills, said. “Everybody in this neighborhood has feuded with this lady over our children.”
Dias contemplated the multitude of experiences and milestones that her granddaughter would now be deprived of, given the absence of her mother.
“Our princess, who was a mini Ajike, will never feel her mother’s arm around her and will never have her mother comb, wash or braid her hair again,” Dias said.
While Dias finds solace in the fact that someone has been apprehended for her daughter’s untimely death, the family has been engulfed in grief since the tragic event unfolded on Friday.
“To me, it told me that for four days, my daughter’s life didn’t matter,” Dias said. “For four days, it said it’s OK to shoot a Black woman for knocking on the door of a white woman to ask why you took an iPad. Why you threw a skate at my child.”
Lorincz has been taken into custody on multiple charges, including manslaughter with a firearm. However, the family’s attorney, Ben Crump, expressed their desire to see the charge elevated to murder. Crump highlighted that the state attorney holds the authority to exercise discretion and potentially escalate the charges accordingly.
“We want him to zealously prosecute the killer of A.J. Owens,” Crump said. “Just like he would do if the roles had been reversed and you had a Black woman shoot a white woman through a locked, metal door and kill her in front of her children.”
The family has announced that Owens’ funeral will take place on Monday, and the eulogy will be delivered by Reverend Al Sharpton.
“I am calling on you to not fail those four children,” Dias said. “Do not fail Ajike. Do not fail your friends, family, or daughters,” Dias pleaded. “We don’t know how long this is going to take. We can’t grow tired or weary. Please do not let my daughter die in vain.” Source.
