A white Floridian woman was recently convicted of manslaughter one year after fatally shooting her neighbor Ajike “AJ” Owens.
On Friday, after 2 ½ hours of deliberation, the jury, composed of six white members of the state, found Susan Louise Lorincz guilty. The now-convicted criminal attempted to argue that she believed she was in imminent danger and acted in self-defense. With her latest sentence, she now faces up to 30 years in prison.
Last year, Lorincz, 60, murdered Owens, a 35-year-old Black woman, with one shot from her .380-caliber handgun when she knocked on her apartment door; she had been unarmed and accompanied by her then 9-year-old son when she was fatally shot in the chest.
Lorincz, who has a history of harassing children and using racial slurs, was involved in a long-running dispute over Owens’ children playing outside. The day that she was murdered, Owens had gone to her neighbor’s door after her children informed her that the 60-year-old threw roller skates and an umbrella at them because they were playing in the grass near their home.
BREAKING: Susan Lorincz has been found guilty of first-degree felony manslaughter with a firearm for the fatal shooting of her neighbor Ajike Owens through a locked front door last year. Lorincz faces up to 30 years in prison. pic.twitter.com/lIpK7YiAER
— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) August 16, 2024
After the verdict was announced, the victim’s mother, Pamela Dias, expressed her relief for her daughter getting justice.
“Today, our family can sleep a little better knowing that Susan Lorincz will no longer be a threat to our community, especially to my grandchildren,” Dias said per ABC News. “While this verdict does not bring my daughter AJ back to us, it does bring a sense of peace that we have long sought.”
The latest verdict comes over a year after Lorincz’s arrest. Due to Florida’s “Stand Your Ground Law,” which creates protection from persecution for those who use deadly force in the name of self-defense, her arrest came days after the murder.
The 60-year-old also managed to get charged with manslaughter instead of second-degree murder. Generally, any charges of murder come with a life sentence or a death sentence.
Now, with the latest conviction, Owen’s family will be looking to ensure Lorincz gets the maximum years for the sentencing. Although a date hasn’t been set yet, according to the judge, it will be held before November.
“This verdict is a critical step in securing justice for AJ and her family,” civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Owens’ family, said. “While nothing can erase the pain they’ve endured, today’s decision sends a clear message that senseless violence will be met with accountability.”
