According to a report by CNN on Wednesday, August 14, 2024, a Florida jury is now deliberating the fate of Susan Lorincz, a 60-year-old White woman accused of fatally shooting her Black neighbor, Ajike “AJ” Owens, during a heated dispute over children playing outside.
The events leading to the shooting began as a typical neighborhood squabble, but one that would tragically spiral out of control.
Lorincz had been increasingly frustrated with the noise and activities of children playing near her apartment in a central Florida neighborhood, particularly the children of her 35-year-old neighbor, Ajike Owens.
The dispute between the two women, simmering over time, came to a head on June 2, 2023.
According to AP News, Lorincz had previously confronted Owens about her children playing too loudly and leaving toys near her home.
On that fateful day, Lorincz reportedly threw the children’s roller skates in frustration, prompting Owens to confront her at her apartment.
Lorincz, fearing for her safety, made a 911 call to report that she was being threatened by neighborhood children.
She told the dispatcher that she was advised to lock her door and wait for the police to arrive.
However, before officers could reach the scene, Lorincz claimed that Owens began “banging on [her] door” and allegedly threatened to kill her.
Lorincz fired a single shot through her closed door, striking Owens in the chest and killing her.
The crux of the trial lies in determining whether Lorincz’s actions were justified under Florida’s controversial “Stand Your Ground” law, which permits individuals to use deadly force if they believe they are in imminent danger of serious harm.
Lorincz has pleaded not guilty to charges of manslaughter with a firearm and assault, and she faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted.
During the trial, the prosecution sought to undermine Lorincz’s claim of self-defense, arguing that the evidence did not support her narrative of imminent danger.
Marion County Sheriff’s Detective Ryan Stith, the lead investigator in the case, testified that his investigation found no significant damage to Lorincz’s door, contradicting her account of Owens violently banging on it.
“From everything I’ve seen, it doesn’t rise to the level for you to justify shooting through a closed door and with a firearm,” Stith stated in court, casting doubt on Lorincz’s assertion that she was in immediate peril.
Moreso, a letter reportedly written by Lorincz to Owens’ four children was read aloud in court. In the letter, Lorincz expressed remorse for the shooting, stating, “I am so, so sorry for your loss. I never meant to kill your mother. I was terrified your mom was going to kill me. I shot out of fear.”
Lorincz’s defense team, led by attorney Morris Carranza, argued that their client acted out of genuine fear for her life.
During opening statements, Carranza told the jury that Lorincz believed “in her mind, in her soul and in her core that she had no choice” but to shoot Owens.
The defense described Lorincz as a woman living alone, who had been harassed and threatened by Owens in the past, and who genuinely feared that Owens would break down her door and cause her harm.
The defense also highlighted Lorincz’s immediate actions following the shooting, including her 911 call to report the incident. In a video of her police interrogation, which was shown to the jury, Lorincz described her fear and panic in the moments leading up to the shooting.
“I panicked and I was like, ‘Oh my god, she’s really going to kill me this time,’” Lorincz told detectives. “And so, I don’t even remember picking the gun up, I just remember shooting.”
However, the prosecution was quick to point out inconsistencies in Lorincz’s story.
Detectives testified that only two minutes elapsed between Lorincz’s initial 911 call and the second call she made after shooting Owens.
Pamala Dias, Owens’ mother, has attended every day of the trial, battlong with the pain of being so close to the woman accused of taking her daughter’s life.
Speaking to reporters, Dias described the trial as “disgusting, the anguish, the pain, to sit there literally feet away from the woman who took my daughter’s life.”
Despite the emotional strain, Dias remains determined to see justice served, stating, “If this is what it takes to get justice, then this is what we have to do.”
Owens’s four children, who were present when their mother was shot, are expected to testify during the trial.
While not in court on Wednesday, Dias shared that the children are anxious about reliving the traumatic event but are also eager to see Lorincz held accountable.
“They are eager as well to see justice served, to have Susan prosecuted and behind bars,” she said.
