A white Florida woman is set to be sentenced for her manslaughter conviction after fatally shooting her Black neighbor through her front door during an ongoing dispute. Susan Lorincz, 60, was found guilty of killing 35-year-old Ajike “A.J.” Owens by firing a single shot from her handgun in June 2023. The incident took place in Ocala, about 80 miles northwest of Orlando.
The shooting occurred following a disagreement between the two neighbors over Owens’ children playing in a shared grassy area. Prosecutors stated that Owens had gone to Lorincz’s home after her children reported that Lorincz had thrown objects at them, a claim Lorincz denied. Testimony revealed that Owens, a mother of four, was banging on Lorincz's door and shouting, prompting Lorincz to argue self-defense in the shooting.
Lorincz, in a videotaped interview with detectives, expressed feeling threatened and harassed during her time in the neighborhood, stating, “I thought I was in imminent danger.” However, the jury did not accept her self-defense plea.
Owens’ family has advocated for the maximum prison sentence for Lorincz, emphasizing the need for justice. Lorincz’s defense attorney has requested a more lenient sentence, citing factors such as a mental disorder and claims that Owens was the aggressor during the confrontation.
Following the shooting, there were protests in the Black community in Ocala due to the delay in charging Lorincz with manslaughter instead of second-degree murder, which carries a potential life sentence. Marion County, where the incident occurred, has a Black population of about 12% according to census data.
