Jury reviews detectives’ interview of White woman who shot Black neighbor

In a courtroom in Ocala, Florida, the trial of Susan Lorincz commenced this week as she faces manslaughter charges for the shooting death of her neighbor, 35-year-old Ajike “A.J.” Owens. The incident occurred on June 2, 2023, amidst a heated dispute over the behavior of Owens’ children.

During the trial, a video statement from Lorincz was played, where she explained her actions leading up to the fatal shooting. Lorincz claimed that she fired a shot through her locked door out of fear when Owens began aggressively pounding on it and threatening her. However, this assertion was sharply contested by the family of the victim.

Owens’ mother, Pamela Dias, addressed reporters to challenge Lorincz’s claims, accusing her of having malicious intent rather than being driven by fear. “She set out to cause harm. She set out to kill. That’s exactly what she did,” Dias declared. “She has no regard for any form of human life, certainly not my family.”

On Monday, an all-White jury of six—with two alternates—was seated to deliberate the details of the case, which is anticipated to last all week. In a recorded police interview conducted on the day of the shooting, Lorincz repeatedly maintained that she felt her life was in danger as Owens, who reportedly weighed about 290 pounds, pounded on her door while yelling angrily.

The conflict escalated after Lorincz allegedly threw skates and an umbrella at Owens’ children, who were playing outside. Lorincz denied these allegations, asserting that she had not thrown anything at the children.

When pressed by detectives during the interview whether her intention was to shoot and kill Owens, Lorincz replied no. But when asked about her actual goal, she stated, “To shoot and hopefully, you know, she’ll hear the shot and dissipate.” Lorincz explained that she fired a single round from her .380-caliber handgun, which struck Owens in the chest. In her view, she had no visibility of who was outside her door and stated she only wanted Owens to leave.

Owens, who was unarmed at the time of the shooting, suffered a fatal injury from the gunfire. Prosecutors presented evidence in court, including measurements from Lorincz’s home, suggesting she was not in the kitchen, as she had claimed, at the moment she pulled the trigger.

In the video statement, she expressed her emotional state on the day of the shooting, revealing, “I was never intending to kill. I was shaking. I was just so distraught at that point in time. I felt like I was in mortal danger.”

The ongoing conflict between Lorincz and Owens had simmered over the years, primarily related to the children playing in a grassy area near their homes. In her statements, Lorincz described how she felt harassed by the children, claiming that they would gather and scream at her whenever they saw her. She also refuted allegations that she had used racial slurs against them.

If found guilty of manslaughter, Lorincz, now 60 years old, faces a potential prison sentence of up to 30 years. Throughout this ordeal, she has expressed that the ongoing tensions with Owens and her children compelled her to take extreme measures—like jamming a chair against her door at night for protection.

The prosecution team had considered tougher charges, such as second-degree murder, but ultimately determined there was not enough evidence to establish that Lorincz harbored “hatred, spite, ill will, or evil intent” towards Owens. Additionally, the delay in filing charges against her sparked public outcry and protests at the courthouse.

Ocala, located roughly 80 miles northwest of Orlando, remains shaken by this tragic event as the trial unfolds, drawing attention to the complex dynamics of neighborly disputes gone dangerously wrong.

Source: CBS News