• Ajike “AJ” Owens was shot lifeless via her neighbor’s door in Florida final Friday.
• Susan Louise Lorincz was arrested and charged in Owens’ loss of life following public stress on Tuesday.
• Owen’s younger kids are blaming themselves for her loss of life, Owen’s mom mentioned Wednesday.

The mom of Ajike Owens, the Black lady shot lifeless via her neighbor’s door, mentioned her grandkids blame themselves for his or her mom’s loss of life.

Owens’ 4 kids are aged 12, 9, 8, and three.

Grandmother Pamela Dias mentioned the 12-year-old blames himself and advised her, “I could not save her. I attempted to present her CPR.”

Dias mentioned the nine-year-old “witnessed his mom shot and killed. In his soul and his coronary heart, it is his fault that his older brother, his child sister, and his child brother, in addition to himself, won’t ever see their mom once more, as a result of he went dwelling and advised his mom what this lady did to him.”

Owens’ mom, little brother, attorneys, neighbor, and native leaders spoke at a press convention in Ocala, Florida, on Wednesday, a day after the neighbor Susan Louise Lorincz was arrested.

Lorincz, 58, who’s white, was arrested and charged with manslaughter with a firearm, culpable negligence, battery, and two counts of assault within the loss of life of Owens, Sheriff Billy Woods mentioned in an announcement on Tuesday. Jail data present Lorincz was booked, however didn’t record a lawyer who may converse on her behalf.

“One of many causes I’m so relieved that Sheriff Woods made that arrest final evening is that it tells Pamela’s kids it was not their fault,” nationwide civil rights lawyer Ben Crump, who’s representing the household, mentioned through the press convention on Wednesday.

It took 4 days from the taking pictures on Friday till an arrest was made.

“No arrest for twenty-four hours. No arrest for 36 hours. No arrest for 48 hours,” Crump mentioned. “I imply, the hours will need to have felt like years for Pamela Dias and her household.”

“We’re very grateful to Sheriff Woods for making that arrest,” Crump mentioned. “We do not take that frivolously and we do not take it without any consideration. As a result of Black folks in America getting swift justice is not at all times a given.”

Owen’s household needs the costs in opposition to Lorincz elevated to homicide

Lorincz advised investigators that she acted in self-defense, and earlier the sheriff had mentioned that due to Florida’s stand-your-ground regulation, he could not make an arrest until he may show the shooter didn’t act in self-defense.

“Sure, I’m grateful for an arrest. Very dissatisfied it took 4 days,” Dias mentioned through the press convention. “When is it OK in America to shoot somebody behind a locked door? When is that OK?”

Crump mentioned they need prosecutors to extend the costs in opposition to Lorincz from manslaughter to homicide.

Crump pushed again on prosecutors saying that the case in opposition to Lorincz was a “troublesome” one, suggesting that if Owens fired the gun as a substitute there would have been an arrest “that evening.”

Phyllis Wills, a white lady who lives in the identical condominium advanced as Owens and Lorincz, mentioned through the press convention that many kids play within the public area close by, and that Lorincz yells at many children enjoying there, and even referred to as Owens’ kids “slaves”.

The sheriff mentioned Owens was shot moments after going to Lorincz’s condominium after Lorincz yelled at Owens’ kids as they performed in a grassy space outdoors close by.

He additionally mentioned Lorincz had thrown a pair of skates that hit one of many kids.

Earlier than the confrontation, Lorincz had been yelling racial slurs on the kids, Crump beforehand mentioned in an announcement.

“Black children shouldn’t have a heavier burden than white kids simply going to play within the area,” Crump mentioned through the press convention on Wednesday.