A white woman accused of fatally shooting a black mother of four after a dispute broke out over the children of the murdered Florida woman has been arrested.
Susan Louise Lorincz, 58, has been charged with manslaughter with a firearm, gross negligence, assault and double assault, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement released in the early hours of Wednesday.
White Lorincz is accused of fatally shooting Ajike “AJ” Owens through a closed door on Friday night in Ocala.
It is alleged that during a heated exchange, Lorincz threw a roller skate at one of Owens’ children and waved an umbrella at another before they told their mother about it.
In a video released by the sheriff’s office, the 58-year-old can be seen hanging her head as authorities take her into custody.
Susan Louise Lorincz, 58, has been charged with manslaughter with a firearm, gross negligence, assault and double assault, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement released in the early hours of Wednesday
Lorincz is accused of fatally shooting black Ajike “AJ” Owens through a closed door on Friday night in Ocala
Owen’s children had been playing in a field near an apartment complex in Ocala, Fla., on Friday when Lorincz “started yelling at them to leave their country and calling them racial slurs,” noted civil rights attorney Ben Crump said.
The kids then accidentally left an iPad behind after leaving the field, Crump explained, before going back to retrieve it.
According to police, Lorincz “was involved in an argument with the children,” which was overheard by a neighbor.
“During that altercation, Lorincz threw a roller skate at Owens’ 10-year-old son, hitting the child in the toe,” the statement said.
“Afterward, when the child and his 12-year-old brother went to speak to Lorincz, she opened her door and swung an umbrella at them.”
As Owens marched to Lorincz’s home, he reportedly approached her door and “knocked several times, telling Lorincz to come outside.”
Police say that at this point Lorincz “fired a shot through the door and hit Owens in the upper chest.” She later died in hospital from her injuries.
“When she was shot, Owens’ 10-year-old son was standing with her.”
As Owens marched to Lorincz’s home, he reportedly approached her door and “knocked several times, telling Lorincz to come outside.”
Police said their investigation and eyewitness testimony determined that “Lorincz’s actions were not warranted under Florida law.”
When questioned, Lorincz told police that “she acted in self-defense and that Owens attempted to force her door open before she fired her gun.”
“Lorincz also claimed that Owens had a history of stalking her and previously attacking her.”
Police said their investigation and eyewitness testimony determined that “Lorincz’s actions were not justifiable under Florida law.”
Florida’s Stand Your Ground law generally allows people to use deadly force if they feel their life is in danger.
“Every time we think, perceive or believe that [the ‘stand your ground’ law] If someone comes into play, we can’t make an arrest. “The law specifically says so,” Sheriff Billy Woods said at a news conference Monday.
“And what we need to rule out is whether or not that fatal violence was warranted before we can even make the arrest.”
Woods admitted that before the shooting, Owen’s children had argued with the neighbor about being on her lawn. He said officials have responded to complaints about the ongoing feud half a dozen times since January 2021.
Ajike “AJ” Owens’ children hold back their tears during a news conference held Monday at the New St. John Missionary Baptist Church in Ocala, Fla
Lawrence Collins (left), brother of Ajike “AJ” Owens, holds hands with friend Charise Thomas (right), during a news conference Monday at the New St. John Missionary Baptist Church in Ocala, Florida
Crump, who represents Owens’ family, said in a statement that the shooter racially abused the children before confronting their mother. Owens and her children are black.
The sheriff’s office has not confirmed that any insults were expressed, nor has it said if race was a factor in the shooting.
Crump tweeted a picture of Owens on Monday. “This is Ajike ‘AJ’ Owens – a mother of four who was fatally shot after she reportedly knocked on the door of a white woman’s apartment to retrieve her child’s iPad.”
“It is believed that Owens’ children accidentally left the device in a field where they were playing and the woman took it.”
“It’s stupid when they’re trying to justify this wrongful killing of this mother of four who was killed in front of her children.” “It’s heartbreaking in every way,” he told CNN before the arrest.
Joining Woods at his press conference were community leaders and a local attorney hired by the family, Anthony Thomas.
Crump tweeted a picture of Owens on Monday. “This is Ajike ‘AJ’ Owens – a mother of four who was fatally shot after she reportedly knocked on the door of a white woman’s apartment to retrieve her child’s iPad.”
“It’s stupid when they’re trying to justify this wrongful killing of this mother of four,” Crump told CNN on Monday before the arrest
During a vigil with the family later Monday, Thomas said the sheriff had promised him the most professional service he and his deputies could provide and Thomas planned on keeping the agency up to date.
During the same gathering, Owens’ mother, Pamela Dias, said she was seeking justice for her daughter and grandchildren.
“My daughter, the mother of my grandchildren, was shot while her nine-year-old son was standing next to her,” Dias said. “She didn’t have a gun. She posed no immediate danger to anyone.’
This is just the latest incident related to Florida’s controversial Stand Your Ground law.
In April, charges against one of two men who shot dead each other’s daughters in a violent traffic incident were dropped after prosecutors ruled that he had acted in self-defense under the law.
44-year-old Frank Allison opened fire on 36-year-old William Hale after the two began swerving and checking each other’s brakes on a Florida freeway last year. He shot Hale’s car after the 36-year-old threw a water bottle into his car during the fight.
But authorities ruled that his first shot was warranted under Florida’s Stand Your Ground self-defense law, and determined that Hale was responsible for the ensuing chaos.
Florida’s Stand Your Ground Law – What Does It Cover?
In Florida, you can use deadly force to defend yourself if you believe you are in danger of being killed or seriously injured by another person.
But unlike other state laws, you don’t need to attempt an escape before engaging in the deadly violence.
People can use Stand Your Stand when they feel there is a genuine reason they are a victim of a serious crime.
However, the statue states that it should not be used to defend anyone engaging in criminal activity.
Nor can people rely on the law when using deadly force against a police officer who is discharging his duties.
You can only use Stand Your Ground if the person is in a place where they have a legal right to be – for example, someone cannot rely on the law if they are breaking into another person’s home.
According to Chapter 776 of the Florida Statues: “A person has the right to use or threaten to use deadly force if he or she reasonably believes that the use or threat of such force is necessary to avoid imminent death or serious bodily harm to himself or others to prevent.” or to prevent the threatened commission of a violent crime.
“A person who uses or threatens to use lethal force under this subsection is not required to retreat and has the right to assert himself if the person using or threatening to use lethal force is not engaged in a criminal activity.” and is in a place where he or she has the right to be.