A white Florida woman was sentenced to 25 years in prison for fatally shooting her black neighbor through a closed door.
Susan Lornicz was convicted of manslaughter in August for the June 2023 shooting of Ajike “AJ” Owens during an argument over children playing near Lornicz’s home in Ocala, central Florida .
Owens, a 35-year-old mother of four, was unarmed and knocking on Lorincz’s door when the older woman fired a single round from her handgun.
She then told detectives that neighborhood children, including Owens’, had previously left toys in her yard. She told police that Owens was yelling “I’m going to kill you” while banging on the door after Lornicz confronted the children earlier and threw a pair of roller skates at them.
“I’m so sorry for taking AJ’s life. I never intended to kill her,” Lorincz, 60, said Monday during the sentencing hearing.
Judge Robert Hodges said he considered Lorincz had already called 911 and that police were on their way when they shot Owens.
“The shooting was completely unnecessary in this case,” the judge said. “In this case, Ms. Lorincz was behind the door. The door was locked.
“For some reason she went into her room and found a gun. She could have stayed in the room and put another locked door between her and Ms. Owens, but she came out, stood in front of the door, and by the time she fired her gun through the door, she was safe .
Neighbors reported that Lorincz had previously harassed and berated neighborhood children and used racial slurs, which she denies.
Owens’ family had asked the judge to impose the maximum sentence of 30 years.
“Our pain and suffering did not end when Susan was convicted of manslaughter,” said her mother, Pamela Dias. “Our pain and suffering will not end with today’s sentencing. Our pain and suffering will last a lifetime.
