*The white Florida woman who fatally shot her Black neighbor following complaints about the victim’s children playing outside, has been convicted of manslaughter.
We reported previously via CNN that Susan Lorincz told authorities that she felt threatened when her neighbor, Ajike “AJ” Owens, confronted her during a dispute over the children on June 2, 2023. Owens demanded Lorincz come out of her apartment near Ocala, Florida after the 59-year-old yelled at Owens’ children and threw a roller skate at her 10-year-old son, hitting him, the sheriff’s office said.
“After learning of this, [Owens], accompanied by her 10-year-old son, approached Lorincz’s home,” the arrest affidavit states, PEOPLE reports. “[Owens] then knocked on Lorincz’s door multiple times and demanded that Lorincz come outside. Lorincz then fired one shot through the door, striking Owens in her upper chest.”
Following the investigation, the sheriff’s office determined that her actions were not legally justified under Florida law, resulting in her arrest on a manslaughter charge. PEOPLE reports that State Attorney Bill Gladson cited a lack of sufficient evidence to pursue a second-degree murder charge, a first-degree felony.
Jurors in Marion County, Fla., found Lorincz guilty of manslaughter by use of a firearm on Aug. 16, after a week-long trial, according to a news release from the Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office.
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“This case is undoubtedly a tragic reminder of the devastating consequences of gun violence,” Gladson said in the news release. “The defendant’s choices have left four young children without their mother, a loss that will be felt for the rest of their lives.”
According to the affidavit, Lorincz admitted to “having used the n-word toward children out of anger in the past and also to calling children other derogatory terms.” Neighbors told authorities that Susan Lorincz frequently harassed the children for playing near her home and even made false reports about them.
Gladson added, “While today’s verdict can’t bring AJ back, we hope it brings some measure of justice and peace to her family and friends.”
According to the affidavit, Lorincz admitted to “having used the n-word toward children out of anger in the past and also to calling children other derogatory terms.” Neighbors told authorities that Susan Lorincz frequently harassed the children for playing near her home and even made false reports about them.
A GoFundMe campaign was created to support Owens’ children.
READ MORE FROM EURWEB.COM: White Woman (Susan Louise Lorincz) Says She Shot Black Woman (Ajike ‘AJ’ Owens) Through her Door Because She Felt ‘Threatened’ | PicsVideos
