“Still a ways to go …”
Mother of victim Ajike “A.J.” Owens holds press event following sentencing of convicted shooter Susan Lorincz; new fund announced.
Pamela Dias, the mother of Ajike “AJ” Shantrell Owens, wipes away tears after Susan Lorincz was sentenced to 25 years by Circuit Court Judge Robert Hodges at the Marion County Judicial Center in Ocala, Fla. on Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. Lorincz was found guilty of manslaughter in August for the June 2, 2023, shooting death of Ajike “AJ” Shantrell Owens, who Lorincz shot and killed through her closed and locked front door. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2024.
The mother of shooting victim Ajike “AJ” Owens said during a press conference on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, that her family has gotten some relief and is ready to heal but there’s still a ways to go to get justice for her daughter
“We’re able to breathe now; we want to help others,” Pamela Dias said during an online press conference held in the wake of Susan Lorincz’s sentencing to 25 years in prison for a conviction on charges including manslaughter with a firearm.
Owens, 35, the mother of four pre-teen children, died on June 2, 2023, after Lorincz, now 60, fired a gunshot through a locked door, which struck Owens in the upper chest. The shooting occurred when Owens went to Lorincz’s nearby residence with her then 10-year-old son and demanded Lorincz come out to talk about an earlier confrontation in a central grassy area where neighborhood kids played, according to a Marion County Sheriff’s Office arrest document.
The confrontation was part of an ongoing dispute between Lorincz and the children playing in the grassy field, including Owens’ children, and involved throwing a roller skate at one of the children, according to the arrest document.
Lorincz told a deputy she was “fearful of her life” when the shooting occurred. Lorincz, who is white, used racial slurs around the children who played in the grassy field, according to at least one witness. Owens was Black.
During the press conference, Dias said her daughter was a mother who “had enough” when she went to confront Lorincz, who, she said, shot “not out of fear, but anger.”
Dias said after an “18-month journey” she is ready to “carry on and move forward with healing.”
The press conference included the family’s attorney, Anthony Thomas, who served as co- counsel with nationally recognized trail lawyer Ben Krump, and family friend Tameka Robinson, who is spearheading efforts to build a fund dedicated to Owens and aimed at helping families and victims of racial violence.
Thomas spoke of “five days of unrest” following Owens’ killing before the Marion County Sheriff’s Office charged Lorincz. He feels the MCSO decision to charge Lorincz rather than accept a “stand your ground” defense was likely influenced by local activism and national attention trained on the case.
Susan Lorincz is fingerprinted in court after being sentenced to 25 years by Circuit Court Judge Robert Hodges at the Marion County Judicial Center in Ocala, Fla. on Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. Lorincz was found guilty of manslaughter in August for the June 2, 2023, shooting death of Ajike “AJ” Shantrell Owens, who Lorincz shot and killed through her closed and locked front door. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2024.
Thomas said the Florida law known as “Stand Your Ground,” which permits use of deadly force without retreat if a person is in fear of their life, allows the person using the deadly force “to define” the level of the threat.
Thomas stated that historically, “especially in Marion County,” people have often been able to “get away with” crimes of violence against persons of color and invoke self-defense.
On June 6, 2023, Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods spoke to the five-day time frame before Lorincz was charged in a video posted on Facebook stating that investigators had been “working around the clock” and that “rushing in to make an arrest” could have caused more complications and errors. Woods said in part that his office “wanted justice” within the time frame necessary while “all sides” provided information through evidence.
Robinson is spearheading the establishment of the Standing in the Gap fund in honor of Owens with a goal of raising $20 million over the next 10 years.
“In the spirit of justice, healing and our beloved departed Ajike “AJ” Owens… (the) mission of Standing in the Gap is to support families impacted by racial violence by easing the financial burden and supporting the healing journey through holistic responses rooted in justice, healing, and culture,” the organization’s Facebook page states.
Dias called the idea of a fund to help victims a “living, breathing” lifeline for families.
A news release issued Nov. 29 offered details about the fund and stated that, “The fund, created in memory of Ajike ‘AJ’ Owens and countless others lost to racial violence, stands as a rapid-response, reimbursable fund designed to assist families in crisis and support organizers advocating for systemic change. Its first recipient was AJ Owens’ family, highlighting the fund’s urgent mission to provide assistance when families are grappling with unimaginable devastation. Often, they are unable to navigate the complexities of legal, financial, and emotional challenges that come with such a loss.”
“This is about more than one case; it’s about dismantling the systems that enable racial violence while ensuring that families in crisis have the support they need to begin healing. We must stand together to create lasting change,” Dias stated in the release.
The materials noted that rapid-response grants can offer families financial support to alleviate the burdens of funeral costs, legal expenses, housing and other urgent needs, and for organizers, grants to sustain community-led efforts that advocate for justice and build resilience.
A woman raises her arms during the Celebration of Life for Ajike “AJ” Owens at Meadowbrook Church in Ocala, Fla. on Monday, June 12, 2023. Owens was killed on June 2 by neighbor Susan Lorincz who shot her through her closed door. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2023.
“This is our collective answer to racial violence that has plagued our communities for far too long. Together, we can create lasting change,” Robinson stated in the release. “With plans to begin distributions in early 2026, we are working toward a 2030 goal to endow the fund—ensuring it can provide meaningful and sustained support for families in a space we wish didn’t exist but recognize is urgently necessary.”
The release also noted that, during Miami Art Week in early December, the Standing in the Gap Fund will debut with an immersive art installation at Choublak in Little Haiti. “A Space for Healing, Reflection, and Action,” created in partnership with The Givers Revival and Miami-based artist Loni Johnson, “the exhibit will blend art, community, and remembrance to honor Black women, families, and communities impacted by racial violence. Attendees are invited to experience this sacred space, which celebrates the resilience of those who have endured unimaginable loss, while fostering unity and healing. The programming is open to the public, welcoming both the local community and visitors to reflect, connect and take action.”
The Standing in the Gap Fund is a donor-advised fund established through the Greater Washington Area Community Foundation and all donations are tax-deductible. To learn more, go to standinginthegapfund.org
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