Susan Lorincz enters a written plea of not guilty in the shooting death of Ajike "AJ" Owens
The white Florida woman who fatally shot her Black neighbor over a dispute about her kids has entered a plea. Today (July 11), court officials revealed to CNN that Susan Lorincz waived her arraignment and entered a written plea of not guilty.
Authorities charged the 58-year-old woman with manslaughter with a firearm and assault in connection to an incident between her and Ajike “AJ” Owens on June 2. If found guilty, Lorincz faces up to 30 years behind bars. “[Lorincz] deserves all 30 years of that 30-year maximum sentence,” Anthony Thomas, Owens’ family’s lawyer, said in a news conference. The state’s district attorney’s office previously considered charging the shooter with second-degree murder but ultimately decided not to.
“As deplorable as the defendant’s actions were in this case, there is insufficient evidence to prove this specific and required element of second-degree murder,” Bill Gladson, a state attorney, said. “I can assure you that the decision was thoughtful and made without consideration of any factors other than the specific facts of this terrible crime.” Rich Buxman with Gladson’s office informed the outlet that Lorincz has not recently posted the $154,000 bond set for her.
As REVOLT previously reported, law enforcement stated Owens’ kids were outside when Lorincz began yelling at them. She then allegedly threw a pair of roller skates at the children, striking one of them. Afterward, the kids attempted to confront the Florida woman. However, that did not yield any positive results. The children then told Owens what happened. Police claimed that when the mother of four went to speak with her neighbor, a heated exchange occurred. Lorincz then fatally shot Owens through the front door.
Several days after the shooting, officers arrested the Ocala resident. Rhaiza Robles, Florida’s Fifth Judicial Circuit Court spokesperson, shared that Lorincz’s next court date “will most likely be sometime in September.”
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