Florida jury convicts white woman of manslaughter for shooting black neighbor

An all-white jury in Florida on Friday convicted a white woman of manslaughter, after she fatally shot her black neighbor last year, despite her claims that she did so in self-defense. 

60-year-old Susan Lorincz fired a single shot through a metal door on June 30, 2023, killing 35-year-old Ajike “A.J.” Owens. The shooting was the culmination of an ongoing conflict between the two over Owens's children playing outside in a grassy area near both houses, the Associated Press reported.

Owens had gone over to her neighbor's house after her children claimed Lorincz had thrown roller skates and an umbrella at them. But Lorincz told detectives that she feared for her life when she fired the shot. She also claimed she had been harassed for most of the time she lived in the neighborhood. 

“I thought I was in imminent danger,” Lorincz told detectives in a recorded interview.

Lorincz's lawyers argued that their client's actions were protected under Florida's “stand your ground” law, and that she was frightened by Owens's "aggressive" actions. An autopsy found Owens was noticeably larger and younger than Lorincz. But prosecutors claimed there was no evidence that Owens posed a physical threat to the defendant. 

The Floridian now faces up to 30 years in prison for the manslaughter charge, but no sentencing date has been set so far.

“The defendant’s choices have left four young children without their mother, a loss that will be felt for the rest of their lives,” State Attorney William Gladson, whose office prosecuted the case, said in a statement. “While today’s verdict can’t bring A.J. back, we hope it brings some measure of justice and peace to her family and friends.”

An attorney for Owens' family said they plan to push for the maximum 30-year punishment, and Owens' mother Pamela Dias said she found some peace with the guilty verdict. 

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.