Netflix documentary shown in Ocala

A woman raises her arms during the Celebration of Life for Ajike “AJ” Owens at Meadowbrook Church in Ocala on June 12, 2023. Owens was killed on June 2 by neighbor Susan Lorincz who shot her through her closed door. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette file photo]

Home » Community

Posted October 21, 2025 | By Andy Fillmore, [email protected]

The award-winning 2025 Netflix documentary “The Perfect Neighbor,” about events leading up to and after the June 2, 2023, shooting death of Ajike “A.J.” Owens through a locked door by Susan Lorincz, was shown Oct. 17 at the Kingdom Revival Church in Ocala. The documentary’s title comes from a video segment in which Lorincz is heard describing herself as “the perfect neighbor.”

The 96-minute film “reconstructs events before and after (the shooting) using interviews, 911 audio and on-scene police body-camera footage,” according to Tudum by Netflix at netflix.com.

A Marion County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said an undetermined amount of body camera video was obtained by public record requests and some footage appears to have come from another source.

The showing was sponsored by the Marion County Chapter of the NAACP, Second Bethlehem Baptist Association, Black Voters Matter, EG: Equal Ground, Black Women’s Roundtable, All About the Ballots and Florida for All.

The shooting in Ocala evoked emotion over the loss of 35-year-old Owens, a mother of four children, involved racial overtones and ignited national debate over Florida’s Stand Your Ground law, which allows use of deadly force for a person who feels their life is in imminent danger.

Francine Julius Edwards, Marion County NAACP 2nd Vice President, opened the gathering by stating the presentation was “not a celebration but a viewing.” Edwards served as an advisor to “Justice for AJ,” a group that protested “insufficient charges” filed against Lorincz, according to prior news reports.

“We protested, held a vigil at the square and met to keep pressure for the DA to charge Susan Lorincz with (at least) 2nd Degree Murder,” Edwards wrote in an email.

An MCSO arrest affidavit details the fatal shooting and the events leading up it.

Prior to the shooting Lorincz argued with neighborhood children playing in a field adjacent to her quadraplex apartment in the 1600 block of Southwest 107th Lane and reportedly threw a skate at one of Owens’ children, the affidavit states.

Owens came to Lorincz’s closed front door sometime before 8:54 p.m., the time MCSO responded, with her 10-year-old son and knocked on the door demanding Lorincz come outside, the affidavit states, and Lorincz fired once through the door fatally wounding Owens.

Lorincz claimed in an interview after the shooting “she has been having a problem with the same juveniles for approximately two years due to their lack of respect for her peace and privacy. Lorincz advised that the children of victim Owens have told her in the past they would kill her,” the affidavit stated.

Lorincz’s immediate next-door neighbor told investigators “that she has spoken to both the victim and Lorincz in the past. She said the victim has always been nice to her and that Lorincz is always yelling at the victim’s children and other children for playing in the field outside of their building.”

“(The neighbor) advised she did not understand why Lorincz was so upset by “kids being kids” and playing outside. She advised she never heard or witnessed Lorincz become violent with the kids…,” the affidavit reads in part.

The affidavit continues with Lorincz’s interview.

“Lorincz advised that on the night of the shooting, after she told the juveniles to leave, they went home and then all of a sudden the victim came to her door and started banging on the door while yelling, “I’m going to —- kill you!,” although the investigator wrote: “Other individuals who were interviewed stated that they did not hear Owens make a statement about killing her,” the affidavit reads.

“Lorincz advised that Owens banged on the door so hard everything started shaking and she thought the door was going to come off. She advised that she panicked and stated to herself, “Oh, my god, she’s really going to kill me this time.” At that point, Lorincz advised she fired one round from her handgun,” the affidavit indicates

“She was trying as hard as she could,” Lorincz said of Owens trying to enter the apartment, the affidavit reads.

(The investigator) asked her if that meant she was trying the door handle and Lorincz said she was just beating the door. Lorincz advised she yelled back through the door that the victim was trespassing,” the affidavit dates.

An examination of Lorincz’s apartment door revealed a handle lock, “extra-long” deadbolt lock and door chain without any damage to the locks or door frame, according to the affidavit.

“(Two investigators) discussed with Lorincz (who is white) the allegations of her making racial slurs towards children in the neighborhood and Lorincz admitted to having used the ‘n’ word toward children out of anger in the past and also to calling children other derogatory terms,” the affidavit states.

Lorincz said she fired a Remington .380 handgun, one of two handguns she owned, the affidavit states.

Edwards said watching the documentary brought back memories of the horror Owens’ children suffered.

“Watching ‘Perfect Neighbor,’ I was reminded of the severity of the incident. Watching that video, I broke out crying watching those babies cry about their mother never coming back,” Edwards stated.

“As a mom, I kept wondering why this adult even moved into a community that has children all around. And she was renting the apartment! No way that area is owned by her…Hearing the children wailing was certainly a trigger,” Edwards stated.

A technical glitch occurred during the showing, preventing the final part of the video to be viewed.

Rev. Jerone Gamble, Marion County NAACP chapter president, spoke of a community initiative ongoing aimed at safer streets and elimination of gun violence.

Florida Rep. Angie Nixon was on hand and spoke at the gathering. Nixon said there’s “a lot to take in” from the documentary and that her “anxiety” level went up.

“I’m a mom…,” she said.

Nixon spoke of the importance of “community” to protect people and their rights.

Lorincz, now 61, was found guilty of manslaughter with a firearm on Nov. 25, 2025, and is currently serving a 25-year sentence at Homestead Correctional Institute in Florida City, with an expected release date of April 8, 2048.

Cassandra Brown, co-founder and executive director of the Eustis-based All About the Ballots, a sponsor of the showing, wrote in an email that the killers of her uncle, Willie Douglas, “still walk free, shielded by a ‘Stand Your Ground’ law that negates accountability” for all races.

Meanwhile, Edwards stated she was touched by an encounter with one of Owens children in the weeks after the fatal shooting.

“We were holding signs and shouting ‘Justice for AJ!.’ A sedan stopped at the light. I shouted “Justice for AJ! I didn’t realize until later that Ajike Owens’ daughter, named Africa, leaned out the car and said ‘Yes, justice for my Mom,’” she wrote.

Netflix is a paid streaming service. To view the documentary, go to netflix.com