3 weeks ago
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A White Florida woman has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for manslaughter after fatally shooting her Black neighbour during a long-running dispute.
Susan Lorincz, 60, was convicted in August for killing 35-year-old Ajike “A.J.” Owens in June 2023, following a confrontation outside Lorincz’s home in Ocala. The two women fought over Owens' children playing near Lorincz's property.
The dispute between the neighbours had been ongoing for some time.
Owens, a mother of four, had gone to Lorincz's door to confront her about allegedly throwing objects at her children—something Lorincz denied. According to testimony, Owens was pounding on Lorincz’s door when she fired a single shot through it.
Lorincz claimed she acted in self-defence, saying she feared for her life and had been harassed by Owens for years. However, the jury did not accept this claim.
Despite facing up to 30 years in prison, Lorincz received a slightly reduced sentence from Circuit Judge Robert Hodges, who took into account her troubled childhood and mental health issues. "The shooting was completely unnecessary in this case," Judge Hodges said. "The shooting, I find, was based more in anger than in fear."
In a statement to the court, Lorincz expressed regret over the tragedy, saying, "I so wish I could go back and change things so she was still here. I never intended to kill anyone."
Owens' family, who pushed for the maximum sentence for Lorincz, shared their grief over the loss, with Owens' mother, Pamela Dias, saying, “We’re hurting with a pain that will never, never go away.”
Lorincz’s lawyer argued for a lighter sentence, citing her mental health and claiming Owens was the aggressor. However, the judge emphasised the lasting impact on Owens' children, who will grow up without their mother.
