*Susan Lorincz, the white Florida woman who fatally shot her Black neighbor following complaints about the victim’s children playing outside, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison after being convicted of manslaughter.
We reported previously via CNN that 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.
On Monday (Nov. 25), Lorincz was sentenced to 25 years in prison, according to CNN.
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“I stand before you not only mourning the loss of my daughter, but also the loss of our hopes, dreams, and the future that we often spoke of,” shared Owens’ mother, Pamela Dias, before the sentencing. “Our plans and promises to one another as mother and daughter will never come to light. They all died the night Susan Lorincz killed my daughter.”
“I am so sorry I took AJ’s life. I never intended to kill her,” Lorincz stated in court.
Judge Robert Hodges noted that the absence of any prior criminal record influenced his choice not to impose the maximum penalty.
READ MORE FROM EURWEB.COM: Susan Lorincz Found Guilty of Manslaughter for Shooting Black Neighbor Through Front Door | VIDEO
