‘The hate gotta stop’

The family and friends of Ajike “AJ” Owens and the Ocala community gathered July 8 at the Kingdom Revival Church to raise their voices in protest and come together in fellowship on the “National Day of Righteous Outrage for AJ.”

As reported by the “Gazette,” Owens, who was Black, was fatally shot through a closed front door by her white neighbor, Susan Lorincz, on June 2.

The mother of four visited Lorincz at the Quail Run-area home to ask about an electronic tablet that she heard had been confiscated from her kids. Eyewitnesses reported that the 58-year-old neighbor called Owens’ children racial slurs and threw a roller skate at them before the confrontation.

Lorincz was charged with one count each of manslaughter with a firearm and assault. If convicted, she faces up to 30 years in prison. Lorincz is currently being held at the Marion County Jail in lieu of $154,000 bail.

Lorincz had researched the “stand your ground” law before the shooting took place, according to the arrest affidavit. She claimed that she fired the gun because she was fearful for her life, due to Owens banging on her metal door from the outside. Owens did not attempt to enter the home or touch the door handle, and the door was locked with an extra-long deadbolt.

Recent Marion County Sheriff’s Office bodycam footage revealed numerous angry complaints from Lorincz about the children making noise, harassing her and calling her Karen. One video showed Lorincz admitting to placing “private property” signs in the common area where the children played. Sheriff’s deputies remind her that she cannot keep the children from playing in the apartment complex yard and that it is not her property.

In one video, the word “psycho” is audibly mumbled by one of the deputies.

“I am aware of the desire of the family, and some community members, that the defendant be charged with second-degree murder,” State Attorney William “Bill” Gladson said in a statement on June 26, adding that his “obligation as State Attorney is to follow the law in each case that I prosecute. I did so in this case, and while some may not agree with that decision, I can assure you that the decision was thoughtful and made without consideration of any factors other than the specific facts of this terrible crime.”

Speakers at Saturday’s event included activist Tamika Mallory, who was named to “Time100,” Time Magazine’s most influential people of 2023; Marcus Arbery, the father of Georgia shooting victim Ahmaud Arbery; Melanie Campbell, president of the National Coalition for Black Civic Participation; and attorney Barbara Arnwine, founder of the Transformative Justice Coalition and president emeritus of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights.

Representatives of the Black Voters Matters Fund passed out fans with its call to action to help cool off the attendees.

According to a report by Supervisor of Elections Wesley Wilcox’s office, a little more than 27,000 Black Marion County residents are registered to vote out of a total of 276,040 total registered voters. This falls to around 4% to 5% short of the total documented Black residents in Marion County.

In the last primary election on March 7, 18% of all Marion County registered residents placed a ballot.

“I can’t express the importance it is to become a registered voter if you’re not,” implored Pamela Dias, Owens’ mother.

Throughout the event, the crowd chanted “Justice for AJ.” Attorney Benjamin Crump addressed the crowd: “I know I’m singing to the choir, but the choir got to sing louder,” he appealed, speculating that if the roles had been reversed, Owens would have been charged with murder, not just manslaughter.

“The hate gotta stop,” said bereaved father Arbery in his emotional speech.

Singer Tim Bush of Live Church Orlando performed gospel tunes. During one song, Owens’ son, Israel, approached the stage and provided his own sign language interpretation of the tune. Owens’ daughter Afrika, 7, was escorted in tears from the service.

In the weeks since the shooting, events to raise awareness about the shooting and manslaughter charge have taken place downtown and at local churches.

“We pray that the judge, prosecutors, and everyone involved do their due diligence to make sure and ensure that Susan receives the maximum penalty for what she’s done,” attorney Anthony Thomas said at the service. “(Lorincz) admitted that she told (the children) to ‘go get your mom.’ … What this suggests is that there was intent in her mind to harm AJ”

Crump demanded Lorincz to be brought up on charges of federal hate crimes, comparing the disgruntled neighbor to the shooters of Ahmaud Arbery, whose charges had included a federal hate crime, and the police officers who shot Breonna Taylor, the first law enforcement officers to be charged with a hate crime.

“All walks of our community came together here a week after AJ’s passing,” said friend Tameka Robinson, “and we have not stopped our efforts meeting here weekly since AJ’s passing, planning actions signed, waving on the boulevard, knocking on doors, text and phone banking, and getting ourselves organized for the long fight ahead for AJ and the greater fight of addressing the systemic challenges facing our community, which is gun violence, criminal justice, economic injustice, education and beyond.”

To learn more about the Justice for AJ cause, volunteer, donate and sign a petition, visit facebook.com/JusticeForAJNow.