Susan Lorincz, a White woman, was sentenced to 25 years in jail for shooting Black neighbor Ajike “AJ” Owens through the door of her Ocala-based apartment during a fight over kids playing close to her house.

Lorincz was found guilty by a jury of manslaughter for the June 2, 2023, murder of her neighbor Ajike Owens outside her Ocala home in August. 

“The shooting was based, I find, more in anger than in fear,” Judge Robert Hodges stated before Lorincz’s sentencing.

The 60-year-old shot Owens through her apartment door in a heated dispute as Owens’s children allegedly played close to Lorincz’s home. 

Lorincz has reportedly admitted to calling Owens’ children derogatory names such as “Black slave,” the “n-word,” and has also given the children the middle finger months before the deadly shooting that sparked national attention.

Owens and her 10-year-old son went to Lorincz’s residence to confront the 60-year-old’s behavior toward the neighborhood children. As Owens knocked on Lorincz’s home and demanded that she come out of her apartment, Lorincz shot her .380-caliber handgun through her front door, striking Owens in the chest.

However, Lorincz reportedly told authorities that she thought that Owens was going to break into her home, and fired the single shot as a part of Florida’s Stand Your Ground law, a law that was seen in cases such as the infamous Trayvon Martin case.Owens and her 10-year-old son went to Lorincz’s residence to confront the 60-year-old’s behavior toward the neighborhood children. As Owens knocked on Lorincz’s home and demanded that she come out of her apartment, Lorincz shot her .380-caliber handgun through her front door, striking Owens in the chest.

However, Lorincz reportedly told authorities that she thought that Owens was going to break into her home and fire a single shot as a part of Florida’s Stand Your Ground law. This law was seen in cases such as the infamous Trayvon Martin case.

Last June, state attorney Bill Gladson of Florida’s fifth judicial district announced that Lorincz could face a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison on the charges that were initially brought against her following the shooting: one count of assault and one count of manslaughter with a firearm.

During her trial, Lorincz’s sister revealed that they were raised in an abusive home that was plagued with mental health illness, where Lorincz was sexually abused and abused in other ways. 

However, the courts argued that Lorincz’s family history wasn’t a fit reason for shooting the 35-year-old mother. 

Although she didn’t testify during her trial, Lorincz expressed her remorse and her desire to go back to the heated exchange and change the events of the fatal shooting.

“I am so sorry I took AJ’s life. I never intended to kill her,” Lorincz said. 

Before the 60-year-old was handed her lengthy sentence, Owens’ mother, Pamela Dias, gave a heartfelt statement regarding Lorincz’s deadly actions.

“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,” Dias shared. 

“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,” she continued.

Despite Lorincz’s statement of remorse, Owens’ mother, Pamela Dias, expressed that she believed that Lorincz’s statement was insincere and she was pleased with the sentencing.

” Now we truly can forge ahead on the journey of true healing that we so often speak about,” Dias said.