Susan Lorincz threatens court action

Susan Lorincz looks on with her defense attorneys before being sentenced to 25 years by Circuit Court Judge Robert Hodges at the Marion County Judicial Center in Ocala on Nov. 25, 2024. Lorincz was found guilty of manslaughter in August 2024 for the June 2, 2023, shooting death of Ajike “AJ” Owens. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette file photo]

Handwritten from her prison cell, court documents show Susan Lorincz has threatened to sue the mother and children of Ajike “AJ” Owens, the neighbor Lorincz shot and killed in 2023, for defamation in response to a wrongful death lawsuit the mother filed against Lorincz earlier this year.

Owens’ mother, Pamela Dias, sued Lorincz in June, near the two-year anniversary of her daughter’s killing. Dias’ lawsuit accuses Lorincz of wrongful death and names property landlord Charles Gabbard as a co-defendant, claiming Gabbard was negligent in failing to prevent Owens’ death.

Owens, a 35-year-old mother of four, was killed by Lorincz in a 2023 shooting that ignited nationwide discussion over racial prejudice and a re-examination of Florida’s “stand your ground” laws. Lorincz was found guilty of manslaughter with a firearm in August 2024 and sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Lorincz sent in her answer to Dias’ lawsuit, a three-page long, handwritten document, from her prison cell at the Homestead Correctional Institution on Aug. 8. In it, she restates her grievances with Owens and her family during the events leading up to the shooting. According to Lorincz, Owens “pounded and screamed profanities like a lunatic” before Lorincz shot and killed her through a locked, deadbolted door while law enforcement was en route to the scene. She threatened to countersue not only Dias but also three of Owens surviving children: Isaac (14), Israel (12) and Afrika (9).

“I now wish to countersue for slander, libel and defamation of character, for damages that exceed $50,000, Ms. Dias, Isaac Williams, Israel Williams and Afrika Williams, individually,” she wrote. “And Charles Gabbard for not securing the property and allowing Ms. Owens and her children for harassment, physical threats of harm and mental duress.”

Lorincz claims the children lied during interviews with law enforcement, prosecutors and during depositions.

“In depositions, all the children told different stories about their location at the time of the shooting. Israel Owens was over 60 feet away at the mailboxes,” she wrote.

Lorincz also denied the allegations made in Dias’ complaint that she made false reports to law enforcement.

“At no time did I file erroneous allegations; Ms. Dias was not present and in another state until Ajike died,” she wrote.

Dias is represented by attorney Anthony Thomas, who represented the family alongside civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump after the shooting occurred.

Diaz alleges that Lorincz caused damages of past and future mental pain and suffering of Owens’ children, expenses for medical care and funeral arrangements, loss of prospective net accumulations and of inheritable estate.

Lorincz has not retained an attorney and filed her response pro-se. Gabbard is represented by Fort Myers-based attorney Tim Kizzire.

Gabbard alleges in his affirmative defenses that he did not contribute to the injuries suffered by Dias and Owens family but rather, that the injuries “are the proximate cause of Ajike S. Owens’ own negligence.”

His response goes on to state that “Ajike S. Owens contributed to the happening of the incident, so that the negligence of the parties, if any, must be compared.”

Shortly after responding to the complaint, Gabbard proposed a settlement offer to Dias, which is confidential and not recorded by the court.

Dias’ lawsuit remains open and discovery requests have been made by both Dias and Gabbard for the production of documents, answers to interrogatory questions and requests for admission of facts.

No further filings have been made by Lorincz since her response to the complaint disclosing her intention to sue.