Susan Lorincz found guilty of manslaughter in the shooting death of AJ Owens

Pamela Dias, the mother of Ajike “AJ” Shantrell Owens, center, is comforted by two women as they leave after Susan Lorincz was found guilty of manslaughter at the end of the trial at the Marion County Judicial Center in Ocala, Fla. on Friday, August 16, 2024. Lorincz was found guilty of manslaughter for the June 2, 2023 shooting death of Ajike “AJ” Shantrell Owens, who Lorincz shot and killed through her own closed and locked front door. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2024.

After four days of testimony and arguments from the prosecution and defense in the trial of Susan Lorincz, the jury found Lorincz guilty of manslaughter with a firearm for the killing of her neighbor, Ajike “AJ” Owens.

Circuit Judge Robert Hodges will announce sentencing at a later date. She faces up to 30 years in prison for the conviction. She will be held in custody of the Marion County Jail without bond until that time.

The jury began deliberations at 12:07 p.m. and delivered a verdict at 2:53 p.m. The jurors asked to listen to the 911 calls made by Lorincz before and after the shooting while deliberating.

The prosecution’s closing arguments were delivered by Assistant State Attorney Rich Buxman, who argued to the jury why Lorincz’ actions were not justified when she shot Owens through a closed, locked and deadbolted door on June 2, 2023. The prosecution brought forward 20 witnesses to testify.

The defense’s closing arguments were made by Public Defender Amanda Sizemore, who argued that Lorincz acted in self-defense when she shot Owens through the door, making the killing justified out of fear for her life. The defense brought forward four witnesses to testify.

The shooting occurred after an argument between Lorincz and Owens’ children, who regularly played in a field nearby Lorincz’ apartment. The incident was a culmination of what neighbors and law enforcement described as a long-running, racially tinged feud over where children in the Quail Run apartment complex played.

To prove Lorincz guilty of manslaughter, the state had to prove that Owens was dead, and that Lorincz committed acts that caused Owens’ death or committed those acts with culpable negligence, showing reckless disregard for the safety of others.

“Was it reasonable to shoot through a locked, deadbolted, secure door?” Buxman asked.

The defense instructed the jury that to find Lorincz guilty of manslaughter, they had to believe that she did not act in self-defense beyond any reasonable doubt.

“Even if you think this was probably not self-defense, you must find Susan Lorincz not guilty,” Sizemore said.

The defense emphasized the size differences between the two women, saying that Lorincz was smaller and frailer than Owens, due to her health issues. Lorincz’ medical records, showing that she previously had neck surgery and knee issues, were entered into evidence by the defense.

Sizemore asked the jury to put themselves in Lorincz’ position, to imagine the fear that the woman must have felt. In her interview with detectives after the shooting, Lorincz said she believed that Owens was about to break down the door to harm or kill her.

Whether or not the threat of harm was real or not, the defense emphasized that the issue was whether Lorincz truly believed there to be a threat of harm.

“She was almost 59 years old. She was in her home. She lived alone,” Sizemore said. “She was suffering from a multitude of medical conditions when she was startled by a barrage of screaming of profanities, and that her walls were shaking in this cement block house.”

The defense referenced prior damage that had been done to Lorincz’ door, saying it was a reason why she did not feel secure. The landlord testified for the prosecution that he repaired the door and that it was structurally sound at the time of the shooting.

During deliberations, the jury asked for clarification for when the door was damaged, how it occurred and by whom. The judge provided the jury with the statement that “We cannot answer your question. You need to make your decision based on the evidence that was admitted.”

The prosecution refuted Lorincz’ level of fear, claiming she was instead angry, as she expressed on the phone when she called 911 before the shooting to report the children yelling and trespassing inside.

“Her actions are completely inconsistent with somebody being in fear for her life over the children,” Buxman said.

Buxman emphasized that in order for Lorincz’ actions to be deemed justified out of self-defense, her behavior would have to align with any other person’s reasonable and prudent actions in the same circumstance.

He called back to the defense’s expert witnesses who evaluated where Lorincz was standing in the home when she fired the shot, saying that any reasonable person would have fled further away from the door, rather than how Lorincz moved closer to the door and fired the shot that killed Owens.

Owens is survived by her four children; Isaac Williams,12; Israel Owens, 9; Afrika Williams, 8; and Titus Owens, 3.