Prosecutor: White woman who killed Black neighbor amid ongoing feud won’t face murder charge
_fitted.png "Ajike Owens, 35, and her neighbor were engaged in an ongoing dispute about Owens’ children, Florida officials say.")
Nearly a month ago, a White woman who admitted to using “the n-word” toward children playing outside near her home “out of anger in the past” fatally shot and killed her neighbor, a Black woman, amid what officials called an ongoing “neighborhood feud” in Central Florida.
A state attorney on Monday announced he will charge the Susan Louise Lorincz, 58, with one count of manslaughter with a firearm and one count of assault instead of second degree murder because of “insufficient evidence” — despite calls from the community to do so.
State Attorney William “Bill” Gladson “carefully examined the viability” of both second degree murder and manslaughter with a firearm, both first degree felonies, but ultimately settled on the latter.
If it had charged Lorincz with murder, the state would require the state to prove Lorincz had a “depraved mind” at the time of the shooting, and according to the statement, “Given the facts in this case, aiming a firearm at the door, and pulling the trigger is legally insufficient to prove depraved mind.”
“As deplorable as the defendant’s actions were in this case, there is insufficient evidence to prove this specific and required element of second degree murder,” he said in a news release.
“I am aware of the desire of the family, and some community members, that the defendant be charged with second degree murder,” he said. “My obligation as State Attorney is to follow the law in each case that I prosecute. I did so in this case, and while some may not agree with that decision, I can assure you that the decision was thoughtful and made without consideration of any factors other than the specific facts of this terrible crime.”
He also said he couldn’t allow “public sentiment, angry phone calls or further threats of violence” to influence his decision.
On Friday, June 2, Ajike Owens, 35, was shot at least once by her neighbor at about 9 p.m. She was a single mother of four.
Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said deputies were responding to a trespassing call June 5 when they learned that shots had been fired and found Owens shot. They took her to the hospital, where she died.
Authorities subsequently identified Lorincz as the shooter as. Two days later, deputies said she told investigators that “she acted in self-defense and that Owens had been trying to break down her door prior to her discharging her firearm.”
Officials established Lorincz’s actions were not justifiable under Florida law and arrested her for manslaughter with a firearm, a first-degree felony punishable by 30 years imprisonment, as well as culpable negligence, battery, and two counts of assault.
Investigators ultimately determined Lorincz became angry because Owens’ children and other neighborhoods kids were playing near her home. One of them, Owen’s 10-year-old son, was standing beside his mom when she got shot.
