A Florida jury entered their verdict for Susan Lorincz, the 60-year-old white woman who shot mother-of-four Ajike Owens from behind her door amidst a neighbor dispute.
Susan Lorincz was found guilty of manslaughter with a firearm. According to CNN, the all-white jury asked to hear the recordings of Lorincz’s 911 calls a second time during deliberation. An hour and a half later, the jury came to their decision.
“From the beginning, this case has always been about getting justice for the victim and her children. Cases involving self defense are often difficult because the jurors are asked to decide whether or not a particular person’s response to a situation is reasonable under the law,” said State Attorney Bill Gladson in a statement.
Owens’ mother, who was present for every hearing this week, had an overwhelming emotional reaction to the verdict being read. “Oh God. Thank you. Thank you,” she said through tears of relief, per the Ocala StarBanner.
A Recap of Trial’s Shocking Revelations
Over a year after Owens lost her life, her shooter was finally taken to trial.
Back on June 2, 2023, Owens was told by her children their neighbor, Lorincz, threw a roller skates at them while yelling racial slurs as they played in a field area near her home. Authorities with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said Owens went to confront Lorincz, knocking on her front door. However, Lorincz shot her from behind the door. Owens was pronounced dead on the scene.
Lorincz was originally charged with second-degree murder, but her counts were adjusted to manslaughter with a firearm and assault. She pleaded not guilty, insisting she shot in fear of her life.
After a few days of testimonies and evidence presentations, we’ve compiled a list of five takeaways from the trial that threw a wrench in Lorincz’s “self-defense” claim.
1. Dramatic 911 Calls
Both 911 calls Lorincz made that fatal evening were played for the court this week. In the recording of the first call, which was made before the shooting, Lorincz is heard telling the operator Owens’ children trespassed on her property. She then alleged the kids were “badgering her.”
Two minutes after that call was made, she called 911 a second time to report that she shot Owens. Audibly distressed, Lorincz is heard in the recording telling the dispatcher Owens was “trying to break down her door.”
“She’s come after me several times because of her children. Her children keep trespassing over here; they’re bothering and bothering me. They won’t f-cking stop,” she said.
Despite appearing distraught on the call, she appeared calm on the body camera video of her detainment. Deputy Ashton Welfenberg described Lorincz demeanor to be “indifferent” while sitting in the patrol car.
2. Suspicious Statements to Police
In contrast to what she told the dispatchers, Lorincz appeared to tell detectives in her interrogation videos that Owens threatened to kill her.
“She bangs so hard it looked like my door was going to fly off. And I just, I panicked and I was like, ‘Oh my god, she’s really going to kill me this time.’ ... I don’t even remember picking the gun up, I just remember shooting,” she said in the video.
In response, one of the detectives told her he was having a hard time understanding how “this unarmed person on the other side of the wall is somehow going to get into your house and kill you.”
3. Neighbor Testimonies
Despite Lorincz’s claim that her life was being threatened, several witnesses recalled nothing more than Owens banging on her door, the sound of a gunshot and a trail of terrified screams.
A 22-year-old Ocala neighbor testified hearing Owens banging on Lorincz’s door but denied hearing her curse or say “I’m going to kill you.” A 13-year-old boy also spoke on the stand, saying he watched Owens stomp angrily to Lorincz’s door, but denied hearing Owens threaten her life. The teen also denied seeing Owens holding anything in her hands when she approached the door.
4. Previous Karen-ish Complaints
A few officers testified on responding to previous disputes between Owens and Lorincz.
Deputy Shelby Kinsey testified during the trial that Lorincz told her Owens came to her door and threatened to “drag her out and beat her” if she approached her children in a December 2022 incident. No arrests were made.
Another officer, Deputy Jonathan Coleman, testified on a February 2022 incident where he said Lorincz told him Owens struck her with the “no trespassing” sign. Coleman stated he saw no injuries to Lorincz when they spoke that evening.
5. The Disputed Door
Upon the claim that Owens tried to bust down Lorincz’s door, trial testimonies then took a turn toward its sturdiness to determine how much force was applied.
Detective Ryan Stith testified his investigation did not find any splinters or serious damage to Lorincz’s door frame. Landlord Charles Gabbard testified to repairs he made to a jam on the front door after Lorincz asked him for help with a “substantial crack.”
Gabbard said she didn’t say how the door was damaged, but it appeared someone slammed it. After fixing it, he stated the door was “structurally sound” with a bit of cosmetic damage. He added that the door had a chain, deadbolt and lock. Following his repairs, Lorincz shot a bullet through it.
Lorincz’s sentencing date has not been set. Though, she faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted.