White Florida woman sentenced to 25 years in prison for the fatal sh0oting of Nigerian mother of four in US

A white woman in Florida has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for the fatal shooting of her Black Nigerian neighbor. In August, Susan Lorincz was convicted of manslaughter for the June 2023 killing of Ajike "AJ" Owens, a 35-year-old Nigerian mother of four. The incident occurred during a dispute about children playing near Lorincz’s home in Ocala, central Florida. Owens, unarmed, was knocking on Lorincz’s door when Lorincz fired a shot through the closed door.

Lorincz later told detectives that neighborhood children, including Owens' children, had previously left toys in her yard. She claimed that Owens was shouting threats, including “I’m going to kill you,” while knocking on the door after Lorincz had confronted the kids and thrown a pair of roller skates at them. Judge Robert Hodges stated that Lorincz's actions were unnecessary, noting that she was safe behind a locked door when she retrieved a gun and returned to fire through the door. “She could have stayed in the room, putting another locked door between her and Ms. Owens, but she came back out and placed herself in front of the door,” the judge said.

Neighbors reported that Lorincz had a history of harassing children in the neighborhood and using racial slurs, which she denies. Owens' family had requested the maximum 30-year sentence. “Our pain and suffering didn’t end when Susan was found guilty of manslaughter,” Owens' mother, Pamela Dias, said. “Our pain and suffering won’t end with today’s sentencing. Our pain and suffering will last a lifetime.”