Susan Lorincz, a 60-year-old woman from Florida, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the fatal shooting of her Black neighbor, Ajike “AJ” Owens, in June 2023.
Lorincz had been found guilty of fatally shooting Owens, a 35-year-old mother of four, through her front door during a dispute over neighborhood children.
At the sentencing hearing on November 25, 2024, Judge Robert Hodges described the shooting as “completely unnecessary,” emphasizing that Lorincz was in a safe position when she chose to retrieve a firearm and shoot Owens.
The door was locked, and law enforcement was already on their way to the scene at the time of the shooting.
Despite being in a position of safety, Lorincz opened the door and shot through it, killing Owens in front of her young child.
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“There was no indication that she did not understand what she was doing,” said Judge Hodges, addressing the gravity of the crime.
Lorincz had claimed she felt threatened by the children outside her home, but no firearms were involved, and Owens’ children were not armed.
The incident began with a disagreement when Lorincz threw a roller skate at the children, leading to a confrontation. Owens then went to Lorincz’s door to discuss the matter and was shot through it.
Lorincz’s defense had previously referenced Florida’s controversial “Stand Your Ground” law, which allows individuals to use deadly force in certain situations without retreating.
However, Judge Hodges stated that Lorincz’s actions were unjustifiable, especially as she was not in immediate danger.
In her defense, Lorincz expressed regret in court, saying, “I am so sorry I took AJ’s life. I never intended to kill her.”
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However, her words came too late for Owens’ grieving family. Owens’ mother, Pamela Dias, shared the pain of losing her daughter, lamenting the death of the future they had planned together.
Lorincz’s sentence comes as a reminder of the long-lasting impact of senseless violence, leaving a family to mourn the loss of a beloved mother and the future she could have had with her children.
