A Florida woman, Susan Louise Lorincz, has been arrested and charged with manslaughter with a firearm, culpable negligence, battery, and two counts of assault after shooting and killing her neighbor, Ajike Owens, a 35-year-old Black mother of four, Your Content has learned.
The arrest came after Lorincz claimed self-defense, stating that she had been threatened by Owens in the months leading up to the incident.
According to an arrest report released by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Lorincz had been facing issues for two years with children in the neighborhood, including Owens’ children, who ranged in age from 3 to 12.
Lorincz alleged that the children had previously made threats against her life. On the day of the shooting, Lorincz reported feeling overwhelmed by the commotion outside her apartment building, with neighbors yelling and children running around.
She claimed that Owens angrily confronted her, banging on her door and making threats.
In a state of panic, Lorincz fired a single round from her .380-caliber handgun, believing that her life was in immediate danger.
The report mentioned that she had purchased the firearm for self-protection following a previous altercation with Owens.
Authorities discovered that Lorincz also possessed a second handgun at her residence.
The arrest and charges against Lorincz have reignited the debate around Florida’s controversial “stand your ground” law.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, representing Owens’ family, expressed gratitude to the sheriff for the arrest while calling for justice.
During a news conference, Crump, along with Owens’ mother and neighbors, emphasized that the feud mentioned by the sheriff was primarily between Lorincz and neighborhood children who often played outside her home.
Witnesses claimed that Lorincz frequently used derogatory language and antagonized the children.
Sheriff Billy Woods stated that the investigation, which included eyewitness statements, did not justify Lorincz’s actions as self-defense under Florida law.
The sheriff revealed that law enforcement had responded to multiple calls related to disputes between Owens and Lorincz since January 2021.
The tragic incident has left Owens’ mother, Pamela Dias, to care for her four young grandchildren.
The case continues to spark discussions about self-defense laws and the consequences of escalating conflicts in residential communities, according to NBC.
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