Jury Convicts White Florida Woman in Shooting Death of Her Black Neighbor During Ongoing Dispute

Woman Found Guilty of Manslaughter in Fatal Shooting

After 2 1/2 hours of deliberation, a white woman, Susan Lorincz, aged 60, was convicted of manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a black neighbor, Ajike “A.J.” Owens, in Ocala, Florida. The all-white jury found Lorincz guilty; she now faces up to 30 years in prison at sentencing.

Defense Claims Self-Defense

Lorincz defended her actions, stating that she shot a single .380-caliber gunshot through her front door on June 2, 2023, acting in self-defense. She alleged fear for her life as she claimed Owens was yelling and pounding on her door. “I panicked… I don’t even actually remember picking up the gun, I just remember shooting,” Lorincz expressed during an interview with Marion County Sheriff’s investigators.

The fatal confrontation was the culmination of a dispute based on Owens’ children playing loudly outside, near both their houses. Lorincz claimed she had been continuously harassed over the course of living there for three years.

Verdict Elicits Emotional Response

Lorincz was escorted out of the courtroom immediately after the verdict was announced, showing no reaction or emotion. The victim’s family broke down in tears. The presiding Circuit Judge, Robert W. Hodges, has yet to set a sentencing date and has requested a background report on Lorincz.

Anthony Thomas, an attorney for the Owens family, said the family finds solace in the ruling but would push for the maximum 30-year prison term.

Ongoing Dispute Leads to Tragedy

The dispute between Lorincz and Owens revolved around Owens’ children playing boisterously in a grassy area nearby. Lorincz claimed the kids’ noisy play was a persistent annoyance, leading to her brusque reaction.

District Attorney William Gladson described the case as “a tragic reminder” of the consequences of quick-trigger decisions and gun violence. He highlighted the irreversible fact that four young children would grow up without their mother.

Legal Defense and Public Response

The defense argued that Lorincz was justified in her actions under Florida’s “stand your ground” law, highlighting that Owens was younger and significantly larger than Lorincz. However, the prosecution argued the claim of self-defense was invalid, as there wasn’t any evidence to suggest Owens posed any immediate physical threat.

The case, with its sensitive racial undertones, led to widespread surprise over the all-white jury selection. Protests sparked in the black community when prosecutors took several weeks to charge Lorincz with manslaughter, a lesser count than the potential life-prison-sentence-carrying crime of second-degree murder.