Susan Lorincz has been arrested for the murder of Ajike Owens in Ocala, Florida on the charges of manslaughter with a firearm, a first-degree felony, culpable negligence, battery and two counts of assault.
Yesterday evening, Marion County Sheriff’s Office issued an arrest for 58-year-old and later questioned her. On the day of the shooting, Owens was found outside of Lorincz's apartment suffering from gunshot wounds when law enforcement arrive.
Tensions spanning over two and a half years reached a boiling point last Friday as Lorincz verbally harrassed the Owens's children by yelling racial slurs at them and hitting one of the kids with a pair of skates. When Ajike Owens went to confront her, she was shot through Lorincz's front door. She passed away at a nearby hospital.
This shooting also comes a few weeks after the NAACP released a travel advisory warning for Florida as being an unsafe place for Black people to visit and reside in. There have been a string of race-related shootings that have happened in the state over the last few months.
After protests and demands that Lorincz be arrested, the Marion County Police Department shared that they had to first evaluate Florida's "Stand Your Ground" laws to establish whether or not she had exercised self-defense. Over the evening, the police department put out a statement detailing their findings on why they finally arrested Lorincz.
Within the video, Sheriff Billy Woods shared, "I want to thank my detectives for working tirelessly to fully investigate this case. I also want to thank Ms. Owens’ family for their patience as we conducted the diligent investigation that we were bound by law to conduct. Ms. Lorincz’s fate is now in the hands of the judicial system, which I trust will deliver justice in due course. As I go to bed tonight, I will be saying a prayer for Ms. Owens’ children and the rest of her family. I’d ask all of you to do the same."
Susan Lorincz faces up to 30 years in prison.
