Susan Louise Lorincz, a white Florida woman who was accused of fatally shooting her Florida neighbor through her front door has been arrested.
She was charged with manslaughter with a firearm in relation to the death of 35-year-old Ajike Owens last week. The sheriff’s office said in a statement that Lorincz was arrested on charges of manslaughter with a firearm, culpable negligence, battery, and two counts of assault. The Owens family is being represented by celebrated civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who announced the news on his Twitter page on Tuesday.
“While we are relieved that the woman apparently responsible for the tragic killing of Ajike ‘AJ’ Owens has been arrested, we are no less concerned that accountability has taken this long because archaic laws like Stand Your Ground exist,” attorneys for Owens’ family, including Crump, said in a statement Tuesday night. They have raised questions about race and Florida’s “stand your ground” self-defense law.
Who is Susan Lorincz?
Susan Lorincz is a 58-year-old White woman who reportedly became “angry at the victim’s children” as they played in a field near her home in Ocala. Before the shooting took place, Lorincz allegedly grew increasingly agitated and even proceeded to throw a roller skate at Owens’ 10-year-old son and swing at her children with an umbrella, authorities say.
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The children ended up complaining about the accused’s behavior to their mother, Owens, who then walked up to her neighbor’s door and attempted to confront her. After she knocked on the door and demanded that Lorincz step outside, the former was shot through the door.
There was a single shot fired which hit Owens in the upper chest, leading to her death.
Lorincz said that she acted in self-defense “and that Owens had been trying to break down her door prior to her discharging her firearm.” Sheriff Billy Woods said that the accused was not justified under the self-defense law. “It was simply a killing,” he said.
If found guilty, Lorincz could face up to 30 years in prison for manslaughter.
