A White Florida woman was convicted Friday of manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a Black neighbor amid an ongoing dispute about children playing loudly outside her home.
Lorincz told detectives in a videotaped interview that she feared for her life as Owens yelled and pounded on her door.
“I panicked and I thought, ‘Oh my God, she’s really going to kill me this time,’ you know,” Lorincz told Marion County Sheriff’s investigators.
Anthony Thomas, an attorney for the Owens family, said they would push for the maximum 30-year prison term.
Owens’ family has expressed surprise that no Black jurors were selected for the trial given the racially sensitive nature of the case.
In the midst of an ongoing argument over kids playing loudly outside her house, a White Florida woman was found guilty on Friday of manslaughter in the shooting death of her Black neighbor.
Susan Lorincz, 60, was found guilty after two and a half hours of deliberation by an all-White jury in Ocala, Florida. Lorincz’s sentence could include up to 30 years in prison.
Lorincz had stated that she was acting in self-defense when, on June 2, 2023, she shot 35-year-old Ajike “A.” with a . 380 handgun through her front door. A. J. Owens. In a recorded interview, Lorincz told investigators that she felt threatened by Owens’ yelling and beating on her door.
Lorincz told Marion County Sheriff’s investigators, “You know, I started to panic and thought, ‘Oh my God, she’s really going to kill me this time.'”. “I just remember firing; I don’t even remember actually picking up the gun.”. ****.
The argument between Lorincz and Owens, whose kids were playing in a grassy area close to both of their homes, was the reason for the confrontation. During the majority of her three years in the neighborhood, Lorincz claimed in the interview that she had experienced harassment.
After Lorincz and the deputies left the courtroom, the victim’s family members sobbed. When the verdict was revealed, she remained emotionless.
Circuit Judge Robert W. Hodges commanded the completion of Lorincz’s background investigation but did not immediately set a sentencing date.
The Owens family’s lawyer, Anthony Thomas, declared that his clients would fight for the maximum 30-year sentence.
“After the verdict, Thomas told reporters that it was a good step in the right direction.”. “Today, the jury fulfilled their duty. Judge Hodges now has the responsibility of imposing the maximum penalty, which is the best sentence he can. “.”.
Pamela Dias, Owens’ mother, said she found some comfort in the guilty decision.
“We’ve brought Ajike some justice. Outside the courthouse, Dias said to reporters, “My heart feels a little lighter.”. “It has taken a long time to reach this point and this decision. That decision brings me some comfort. ****.
Claiming that the case was “a tragic reminder” of the consequences of gun violence, State Attorney William Gladson’s office prosecuted it.
Gladson said in a statement, “The defendant’s choices have left four young children without their mother, a loss that will be felt for the rest of their lives.”. Although today’s decision cannot result in A. J. back, we hope it offers her family and friends some measure of justice and peace. ****.
“We are profoundly grateful that the jury has delivered a guilty verdict in this heartbreaking case,” said attorney Ben Crump in a statement following the verdict. Her children, especially a young son who witnessed this horrible act, had to bear the weight of AJ Owens’s tragically short life. She was a loving mother. In order to ensure justice for AJ and her family, this verdict is essential. Nothing can make up for the suffering they’ve gone through, but today’s ruling makes it very evident that needless violence will not go unpunished. “.
Prosecutor Rich Buxman stated during closing arguments that there was no proof Owens threatened Lorincz physically right away. However, the defendant went to the defendant’s home after her children complained that Lorincz had thrown roller skates and an umbrella at them, citing a long-standing grudge over their loud outdoor play.
“Plunking on someone’s door is not illegal. “Yelling is not a crime,” Buxman informed the jury. “When she pulled the trigger, there was absolutely no immediate threat. “.”.
Lorincz’s attorney responded that she was scared of Owens’ violent behavior and that she had the right to shoot him because of Florida’s “stand your ground” legislation. After an autopsy, it was discovered that Owens was considerably bigger and younger than Lorincz—weighing in at around 290 pounds—and that the two had previously fought.
According to assistant public defender Amanda Sizemore, “she can defend herself.”. She had a split second to decide whether to pull the trigger or not. “.
While Lorincz refrained from testifying in her own defense, she did state that she never meant to hurt Owens during a detective interview that was played for the jury. However, Lorincz expressed to a dispatcher during a 911 call that he was “just sick of these kids.”. “.”.
She didn’t feel scared. She was upset,” Buxman remarked.
In light of the case’s racial sensitiveness, Owens’ family has expressed surprise that no Black juror was chosen for the trial. When it took weeks for prosecutors to charge Lorincz with manslaughter—a lesser offense than second-degree murder, which carries a possible life sentence—there were protests in the Black community.
Eight Black persons were included in the first jury pool of 70, according to an email from the county court clerk’s office. On the other hand, based on information from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, the clerk’s office reported that 49 people were listed as white, 10 as Hispanic, two as Asian, and one as “other.”.
Ocala is located in central Florida, about 80 miles northwest of Orlando. Based on census data, the percentage of Black people living in Marion County is approximately 12 percent.
