Susan Lorincz, the White Florida woman accused of fatally shooting her Black neighbor during a dispute over the victim’s children playing outside, was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Monday.
Per CBS News, Lorincz’s sentencing came after a jury found her guilty of manslaughter in August. Lorincz, 60, gunned down Ajike Owens, a mother of four, in their Ocala neighborhood on June 2, 2023.
The incident occurred outside Lorincz’s home after Owens went there to confront her. The convicted White woman was initially charged with one count of manslaughter with a firearm and one count of assault, and she faced up to 30 years in prison.
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During her sentencing, Judge Robert Hodges noted that Lorincz had enough time to contact authorities, adding that nothing indicated Owens was attempting to force her way into the convicted woman’s home.
“The shooting was based, I find, more in anger than in fear,” Hodges said. The case stirred controversy last year when it took police two weeks to charge Lorincz, and she was charged with manslaughter rather than the more severe second-degree murder, which could have led to a life sentence.
During the trial, the jury was shown evidence that Lorincz shot Owens through her door using a .380-caliber handgun. Prosecutors argued that Lorincz fired out of anger over Owens’ four children playing in a shared grassy area between their homes, per the New York Post.
Lorincz had reportedly complained for nearly three years that the children were harassing her. Lorincz’s defense attorneys argued that she acted in self-defense, claiming that the much larger and younger Owens, 35, aggressively banged on her door.
They asserted that Lorincz’s actions were justified under Florida’s “stand your ground” law, which permits the use of deadly force in self-defense. Owens had confronted Lorincz after her children reported that Lorincz threw roller skates and an umbrella at them due to their noisy play.
The two neighbors had clashed previously over similar issues. And in one 911 call, Lorincz had whinged, “I’m just sick of these children.”
Prosecutor Rich Buxman argued that the evidence showed Lorincz acted out of anger, not fear, when she shot Owens. Although Lorincz did not testify, the jury heard a recorded police interview where she claimed she never intended to harm Owens.
“This case is undoubtedly a tragic reminder of the devastating consequences of gun violence. The defendant’s choices have left four young children without their mother, a loss that will be felt for the rest of their lives,” Bill Gladson, the state attorney for Florida’s fifth judicial district, said in a statement, CBS News reported. “While today’s verdict can’t bring AJ back, we hope it brings some measure of justice and peace to her family and friends.”
The attorney for Owens’ family, Ben Crump, also said that the verdict was a “a critical step in securing justice” for the deceased victim and her family.
“We are profoundly grateful that the jury has delivered a guilty verdict in this heartbreaking case. AJ Owens was a devoted mother whose life was tragically cut short, leaving her children, including a young son who witnessed this horrific act, to carry the burden of her loss,” Crump said in a statement.
“While nothing can erase the pain they’ve endured, today’s decision sends a clear message that senseless violence will be met with accountability. We will continue to stand by AJ’s family as they heal and fight for a future where no family has to experience such devastating loss.”
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