Florida woman gets 25 years for fatally shooting Black neighbor through door

A achromatic Florida pistillate has been sentenced to 25 years successful situation for fatally shooting her Black neighbour done a closed door.

Susan Lornicz was found blameworthy of manslaughter successful August for the June 2023 shooting of Ajike “AJ” Owens during a quality astir children playing adjacent Lornicz’s location successful Ocala, successful cardinal Florida.

Owens, a 35-year-old parent of four, was unarmed and knocking connected Lorincz doorway erstwhile the older pistillate fired a azygous circular from her handgun.

She aboriginal told detectives that vicinity children, including Owens’, had near toys successful her gait before. She told constabulary Owens was shouting “I’m going to termination you” portion banging connected the doorway aft Lornicz earlier confronted the kids and threw a brace of roller skates.

“I americium truthful atrocious I took AJ’s life. I ne'er intended to termination her,” Lorincz, 60, said Monday during the sentencing hearing.

Susan Lorincz, left, who fatally changeable a Black neighbour done her beforehand doorway during an ongoing dispute, weeps during her sentencing proceeding Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, successful Ocala, Fla. (Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette via AP, Pool)

Judge Robert Hodges said helium considered that Lorincz had already called 911 and constabulary were connected the mode erstwhile she changeable Owens.

“The shooting was wholly unnecessary successful this case,” the justice said. “In this case, Ms. Lorincz was down the door. The doorway was locked.

“For immoderate reason, she went into her country and recovered a gun. She could person stayed successful the country and enactment different locked doorway betwixt her and Ms. Owens, but she came backmost out, enactment herself successful beforehand of the door, and astatine the clip she fired the weapon done the door, she was safe.”

Neighbors reported Lorincz had a history of harassing and scolding vicinity children and utilizing radical slurs, which she denies.

Owens’ household had asked the justice to enforce the maximum condemnation of 30 years.

“Our symptom and suffering didn’t extremity erstwhile Susan was recovered blameworthy of manslaughter,” her parent Pamela Dias said. “Our symptom and suffering won’t extremity with today’s sentencing. Our symptom and suffering volition past a lifetime.”