Calls for U.S. Department of Justice to Intervene after Outrageous Decision New York, New York – Rev. Al Sharpton, President and Founder of the National Action Network (NAN), today responded to Florida prosecutors’ decision to not file murder charges against the woman who fatally shot Ajike “AJ” Owens after knocking on her door. Instead, officials will charge the shooter with one count of manslaughter with a firearm and one count of assault. Rev. Sharpton delivered the eulogy for the mother of four in Ocala earlier this month, calling for justice in the murder and shaming Florida officials for their silence over the killing.

“The legal system failed AJ Owens and her family today by refusing to recognize that this brazen shooting was plain murder. It was an outrageous decision to not bring murder charges against a shooter who fired blindly through the door. Florida officials have failed AJ throughout this entire process. The National Action Network has been with her family since this shooting to support them through what was clearly going to be an uphill battle. The fact that this woman hurled insults including the nword at her children and proclaimed, ‘this isn’t the underground railroad, slave,’ should be enough for the Justice Department to investigate this as a federal hate crime. We urge the DOJ to intervene in this case, so the appropriate level of justice is delivered for AJ and her family.”