John Jefferson
Inset: Ajike “A.J.” Owens (GoFundMe). Background: Susan Louise Lorincz in court (Office of The State Attorney, Fifth Judicial Circuit, Florida).
A white woman in Florida convicted of shooting her Black neighbor through a locked door is seeking a sentence less than the statutory minimum, saying in a new court filing that she was under extreme duress during the shooting — and that the victim was actually the aggressor.
Susan Louise Lorincz, 60, argued she should get a downward departure after her August conviction for manslaughter by use of a firearm in the death of her neighbor, Ajike “A.J.” Owens, 35. The Black mother of four was killed on June 2, 2023, when Lorincz fired a gun through her locked front door as the victim stood on the porch knocking.
A motion filed by the defendant’s public defender, Amanda Sizemore, writes that Fifth Judicial Circuit Judge Robert W. Hodges should make a downward departure from the minimum potential sentence of 138 months, or 11 ½ years.
The potential maximum sentence is 30 years in prison. It was not clear from the filing how much of a downward departure would be requested at sentencing.
The document said the defendant requires specialized treatment for a mental disorder unrelated to substance abuse or addiction and is amenable to treatment.
“The capacity of the defendant to appreciate the criminal nature of the conduct or to conform that conduct to the requirements of the law was substantially impaired,” the motion said. “The victim was an initiator, willing participant, aggressor, or provoker of the incident.”
“The defendant acted under extreme duress or under the domination of another person,” the filing also said.
According to the motion, Lorincz has expressed regret over the shooting.
“The offense was committed in an unsophisticated manner and was an isolated incident for which the defendant has shown remorse,” the filing said.
Deputies responded at about 9:00 that night to a trespassing call in the 1600 block of SW 107th Lane in Ocala, about 80 miles northwest of Orlando, when another call was received about a shooting at the same location, authorities said. When deputies arrived, they found Owens in front of Lorincz’s apartment, suffering from a gunshot wound. Deputies rendered aid to her until Marion County Fire Rescue responded and took her to a hospital, where she died, officials said.
Through interviews, surveillance footage, prior incidents and calls for service involving Lorincz and Owens, detectives learned that Lorincz had become angry over time at Owens’ children, who were playing in a field close to her home, deputies said.
There were a series of incidents leading up to the bloodshed that day, authorities said. A neighbor apparently heard Lorincz yelling at the children, and during the argument, Lorincz threw a roller skate at Owens’ 10-year-old son, hitting him in the toe, authorities said in a news release. When the boy and his 12-year-old brother went to speak to Lorincz, she opened her door and swung at them with an umbrella.
After the children told their mother what had happened, Owens went to Lorincz’s home, knocked on the door multiple times, and demanded that Lorincz come outside. Lorincz fired one shot through the door, striking Owens in the chest as the fatally wounded mom’s 10-year-old son stood beside her, authorities said.
When interviewed, Lorincz claimed self-defense, saying Owens had been trying to breakdown her door. She also said Owens had come after her in the past and had previously attacked her.
But detectives ultimately found Lorincz’s actions “were not justifiable under Florida law,” and Lorincz was arrested on June 6, 2023.
Bill Gladson, Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney, said in a news release after the conviction that the case is a tragic reminder of the devastating consequences of gun violence.
“The defendant’s choices have left four young children without their mother, a loss that will be felt for the rest of their lives,” he said. “While today’s verdict can’t bring AJ back, we hope it brings some measure of justice and peace to her family and friends.”
Lorincz is set to be sentenced on Nov. 25, the online court docket shows.
Jerry Lambe and Alberto Luperon contributed to this report.
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