On Friday in Ocala, a Black woman named Ajike “AJ” Owens was fatally shot in front of her children by a neighbor through the door as she knocked on it. The shooter, who reportedly yelled racial slurs at the mother of four before shooting, has yet to be arrested.
Florida Senator Shevrin Jones (D- Miami Gardens) issued the following statement Tuesday:
It’s appalling that in 2023, we still hear stories like this far too often. AJ was shot by her neighbor while next to her nine-year-old child, all over a dispute about an iPad. She posed no threat and had no weapon — if the shooter feared for her life as she hid within her home, then she should have called the police. Instead, she decided to fire her weapon through the door, killing AJ in front of her children. This is nothing short of murder and the shooter should be charged as such.
Since Florida’s dangerous “Stand Your Ground” law was enacted, other states have followed suit. As I’ve advocated for several years, it is long past time to repeal this harmful law as it continues to encourage vigilantism and put Florida families like AJ’s in danger. Instead of making our communities safer, the governor and GOP legislature makes it easier for potentially dangerous people to access guns. It’s no wonder that I hear from people each week who choose to relocate as a result of these types of policy choices. Our state deserves better.
