A Florida woman, Susan Louise Lorincz, 58, who is white, was arrested on Tuesday for the alleged fatal shooting of her neighbor, Ajike Owens, a Black mother of four. The incident occurred as the culmination of a 2½-year feud, according to Sheriff Billy Woods of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. Lorincz faces charges of manslaughter with a firearm, culpable negligence, battery, and two counts of assault.
The case has attracted attention and pressure to arrest and charge Lorincz, as she fired the fatal shot through her front door, bringing Florida’s controversial stand your ground law into focus once again. In a video shared by the sheriff’s office, Lorincz is shown being led down a hallway by two detectives and a deputy with her hands behind her back.
While jail records indicate that Lorincz was booked, there was no information available regarding her legal representation or her initial court appearance.
Deputies initially responded to a trespassing call and discovered Owens with gunshot wounds on Friday night. The neighborhood where the incident took place consists of single-story duplexes and quadruplexes located in the rolling hills outside of Ocala, known for its thoroughbred horse farms.
Lorincz claimed self-defense during the investigation, stating that Owens, 35, had attempted to break down her door before she fired the gun. She further alleged that Owens had a history of coming after her and previously assaulting her. However, Sheriff Woods stated that the investigation, including eyewitness testimonies, established that Lorincz’s actions were not justifiable under Florida law.
On Tuesday, approximately thirty demonstrators, mostly Black individuals, gathered outside the Marion County Judicial Center, demanding the arrest of the shooter. State Attorney William Gladson, the chief prosecutor, met with the protesters and urged patience while the investigation continued, emphasizing the need for sufficient time and evidence to build a strong case without compromising the ongoing criminal investigation.
“If we are going to make a case we need as much time and as much evidence as possible,” Gladson said. “I don’t want to compromise any criminal investigation.”
“Now many of you were struggling to understand why there was not an immediate arrest,” the sheriff said. “The laws here in the state of Florida are clear. Now I may not like them. I may not agree with them. But however, those laws I will follow.”
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Earlier, Sheriff Woods had cited the stand your ground law as a hindrance to making an arrest unless it could be proven that the shooter did not act in self-defense.
In a video posted on Facebook late Tuesday night, the sheriff said this was not a stand your ground case but “simply a killing.”
In the neighborhood where the incident occurred, tributes such as a stuffed teddy bear and bouquets were placed near the site where Owens was shot. Children in the area were seen riding bikes, scooters, and playing basketball nearby.
According to a statement from civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Owens’ family, prior to the confrontation, Lorincz had directed racial slurs at the children. However, the sheriff’s office has not confirmed the use of racial slurs or stated whether race was a factor in the shooting.
