A white Florida woman has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for fatally shooting her Black neighbor through a closed door.
Susan Lornicz was found guilty of manslaughter in August for the June 2023 shooting of Ajike “AJ” Owens during a dispute about children playing near Lornicz’s home in Ocala, in central Florida.
Owens, a 35-year-old mother of four, was unarmed and knocking on Lorincz door when the older woman fired a single round from her handgun.
She later told detectives that neighborhood children, including Owens’, had left toys in her yard before. She told police Owens was shouting “I’m going to kill you” while banging on the door after Lornicz earlier confronted the kids and threw a pair of roller skates.
“I am so sorry I took AJ’s life. I never intended to kill her,” Lorincz, 60, said Monday during the sentencing hearing.
Judge Robert Hodges said he considered that Lorincz had already called 911 and police were on the way when she shot Owens.
“The shooting was completely unnecessary in this case,” the judge said. “In this case, Ms. Lorincz was behind the door. The door was locked.
“For some reason, she went into her room and found a gun. She could have stayed in the room and put another locked door between her and Ms. Owens, but she came back out, put herself in front of the door, and at the time she fired the gun through the door, she was safe.”
Neighbors reported Lorincz had a history of harassing and scolding neighborhood children and using racial slurs, which she denies.
Owens’ family had asked the judge to impose the maximum sentence of 30 years.
“Our pain and suffering didn’t end when Susan was found guilty of manslaughter,” her mother Pamela Dias said. “Our pain and suffering won’t end with today’s sentencing. Our pain and suffering will last a lifetime.”