Killing of Ajike Owens

Last updated
Killing of Ajike Owens
Location Ocala, Florida, U.S.
DateJune 2, 2023 (2023-06-02)
c. 9:00 p.m. (EST)
Attack type
 Shooting
VictimAjike "AJ" Owens
Charges Manslaughter with a firearm, culpable negligence, battery and two counts of assault

On June 2, 2023, in Ocala, Florida, 35-year-old Ajike "AJ" Shantrell Owens [1] was shot and killed by her neighbor, 58-year-old Susan Lorincz. Owens was knocking on Lorincz's door after altercations occurred between Owens' children and Lorincz in a field nearby. Lorincz shot Owens through the door. Police were already responding to "a trespassing call" when they received another 911 call about a shooting at the same address. They found Owens injured and took her to the hospital where she was pronounced dead. [2] [3] [4]

Contents

The case received national attention and "reignited" debate around stand-your-ground laws.

In August 2024, Lorincz was found guilty of manslaughter, and in November 2024 she was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Background

Lorincz had contentious history with Owens and her family before the fatal shooting. Since January 2021, deputies had responded to about half a dozen calls concerning an ongoing neighborhood feud involving the parties. [5]

A neighbor living across from Lorincz stated that Lorincz was angry all of the time due to Owens' children playing outside, and that Lorincz would say "nasty things to them". [6]

In an affidavit following Lorincz's arrest, a detective said Lorincz admitted to addressing the children with racial slurs. [7]

Shooting

Police interviewed Owens' children along with neighbors who overheard Lorincz arguing with the children. They reported that during the argument Lorincz threw a roller skate at the children, hitting one of them in the foot, and also swung an umbrella at another one of them. After the children told their mother about the incident, Owens went to Lorincz's home to confront her. Owens was with her 10-year-old son when she knocked on Lorincz's door, and when she got shot. [8]

Lorincz claimed she was acting in self defense and claimed Owens was trying to break down her door. Lorincz also claimed in the past Owens had tried to attack her. [3] [9] A neighbor from across the street heard Owens' son yelling "They shot my mama, they shot my mama" and ran over to start giving CPR. [6] Lorincz called 911 twice: the first was a trespassing call after she confronted the children, and the second was after she shot Owens. [1] Deputies were already responding to the first 911, when the second came in. The deputies found Owens laying in the grass, suffering from a gunshot wound, and Owens was later pronounced dead at the hospital. [10]

The case received national attention and "reignited" debate about national stand-your-ground laws. [7]

During an interview on June 5, 2023, Marion County Sheriff Woods stated they would have to consider Florida's Stand Your Ground law before making any arrests and had primarily only heard from Lorincz and were still working on contacting and interviewing Owens' children. [11]

On June 6, 2023, 30 protestors gathered outside the Marion County Judicial Center to demand the arrest of Lorincz. Chief prosecutor and state attorney William Gladson, met with protestors and urged them to be calm, indicating that the investigation was still on-going and they did not want to compromise it. [6]

After conducting interviews, and reviewing surveillance footage and digital evidence, the police arrested Lorincz on June 7, 2023, and charged her with manslaughter with a firearm, culpable negligence, battery and two counts of assault. [3] [9] [12] On the matter of whether Florida's Stand Your Ground law applied, Sheriff Billy Woods said in a press conference that "This situation is a prime example of when it was not justified. It was simply a killing." [12]

On August 16, 2024, Lorincz was found guilty of manslaughter by an all-white six person jury, after two hours of deliberation. [13] On November 25, 2024, Lorincz was sentenced to 25 years in prison. [14]

Aftermath

In the aftermath of the shooting, many proponents and family members of Owens called for a reevaluation of the Stand Your Ground rules, along with potential clarification on the rule. A law professor at William and Mary Law School indicated that she was concerned that there was a widespread misunderstanding of the rule, and that it had turned into a "shoot first think later" belief by some. [15] The GoFundMe page that was set up by the Owens family after the shooting indicated that they had partnered with national advocacy groups to promote changing of Stand Your Ground laws.

After Lorincz's sentencing, Owens' mother and her friend started a fund called Standing In The Gap to provide financial support for families affected by racial violence. [16] They also announced a documentary about the shooting releasing in 2025, and a partnership for a mural in Ocala. [16]

Response

In a statement, Owens' mother Pamela Dias stated that the child standing next to Owens when she died was consumed with grief and guilt that he was unable to successfully perform CPR on Owens. According to Dias the child told her "Grandma, grandma. I couldn't save her." [11]

The executive director of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America told reporters that she was absolutely heartbroken over the shooting and that it was a senseless act resulting from lax gun laws and a culture of shoot first. [6]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 Miller, Austin L. (June 8, 2023). "'She was a heart of gold': Outcry for Black mother Ajike Owens after Ocala, Florida, shooting". USA Today . Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  2. ↑ Hauser, Christine (June 6, 2023). "Family Seeks Arrest in Killing of Woman Shot Through Neighbor's Door". The New York Times . Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 Taylor, Derrick Bryson (June 7, 2023). "Florida Woman Arrested in Fatal Shooting of Her Neighbor". The New York Times . Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  4. ↑ McCluskey, Mitchell; Maxouris, Christina (June 5, 2023). "A Black mother of 4 was shot and killed by a neighbor. Her family wants the woman who shot her arrested". CNN . Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  5. ↑ Chasan, Aliza (2023-06-05). "Family of woman shot through door in Florida calls for arrest". CBS News. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Anderson, Curt; Frisaro, Freida (2023-06-06). "Protesters call for arrest of white woman who fatally shot Black neighbor". AP NEWS. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  7. 1 2 Correal, Annie (November 25, 2024). "Florida Woman Who Fatally Shot Black Neighbor Gets 25 Years in Prison". The New York Times . Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  8. ↑ Timsit, Annabelle (June 7, 2023). "White woman who shot Black neighbor through door is arrested". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  9. 1 2 Anderson, Curt; Frisaro, Freida (June 7, 2023). "White woman who fatally shot Black neighbor is arrested in Florida". Associated Press . Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  10. ↑ Maxouris, Christina (2023-06-06). "It's been 4 days since Ajike 'AJ' Owens was fatally shot after knocking on a neighbor's door. Here's what we know". CNN. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  11. 1 2 Riess, Ray Sanchez, Rebekah (2023-06-07). "Children of Black Florida mother who was killed after knocking on neighbor's door consumed with guilt over her death". CNN. Retrieved 2023-06-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. 1 2 58-Year-Old Woman Arrested in Fatal Shooting of Neighbor , retrieved 2023-06-12
  13. ↑ Correal, Annie (2024-08-16). "Florida Woman Found Guilty of Manslaughter in Fatal Shooting of Black Neighbor". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  14. ↑ Czachor, Emily Mae (2024-11-26). "White Florida woman sentenced to 25 years for fatally shooting Ajike Owens, her Black neighbor - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2024-11-28.
  15. ↑ Whitefield-Anderson, Jayla (2023-06-07). "Advocates call for abolishing 'stand your ground' laws after Ajike Owens's death". Yahoo News. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
  16. 1 2 Delamo, Emma (2024-11-27). "Ajike Owens' family creates new fund for families affected by racial violence". WCJB TV20. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
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