A white woman in Florida was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Monday for shooting and killing her Black neighbor.
Susan Lorincz, 60, was convicted of manslaughter in August for the June 2, 2023, shooting of Ajike Owens, who was 35 years old with four children. The incident took place outside Owens’ home in Ocala, a small city about 80 miles northwest of Orlando. Lorincz could have received a maximum sentence of 30 years for the charges against her, which included one count of manslaughter with a firearm and one count of assault. Bill Gladson, the state attorney for Florida’s fifth judicial district, shared this information in June.
RELATED: Florida Woman Found Guilty of Manslaughter For Shooting Black Neighbor
On Monday, Judge Robert Hodges stated that Lorincz had plenty of time to contact law enforcement and noted that there was no significant threat of Owens attempting to break into her home. “The shooting was based, I find, more in anger than in fear,” Hodges said prior to the sentencing.
As we previously shared, Prosecutors explained that Owens went to Lorincz’s home after her children reported that Lorincz had thrown roller skates and an umbrella at them, a claim Lorincz denied. During the trial, witnesses testified that Owens, a mother of four young children, was banging on Lorincz’s door and yelling, which led Lorincz to argue that she acted in self-defense when she shot her neighbor.
In a videotaped interview with detectives, Lorincz claimed she feared for her life and said she had experienced harassment during most of the three years she lived in the neighborhood.
“I thought I was in imminent danger,” she said.
Owens’ family advocated for the maximum prison sentence after Lorincz was convicted by an all-white jury.
RELATED: Florida Woman Who Fatally Shot Black Neighbor Granted $154,000 Bond
“We are hopeful that justice will prevail and that the court will give Susan Lorincz the maximum penalty for her actions,” said Owens’ mother, Pamela Dias, in an emailed statement before Monday’s sentencing. “Ajike’s legacy will live on through her children, and we will continue to fight for justice.”
