White FL Woman Sentenced In Black Neighbor's Shooting Death: Reports

OCALA, FL — A white Florida woman convicted of fatally shooting her Black neighbor has been sentenced to 25 years in prison, according to media reports.

Circuit Judge Robert Hodges on Monday sentenced 60-year-old Susan Lorincz after she was convicted of manslaughter in August in connection with the June 2023 killing of Ajike “A.J.” Owens, 35, in Ocala, both the Associated Press and CBS News reported.

“The shooting was completely unnecessary in this case,” Hodges said during a hearing. “The shooting, I find, was based more in anger than in fear.”

Hodges opted for a slightly lesser term amid evidence that Lorincz had been abused as a child and had mental health problems.

An ongoing dispute between Lorincz and Owens centered on Owens' children playing between their homes, the Associated Press reported. Owens approached Lorincz after her children said Lorincz threw roller skates and an umbrella at them, the news outlet reported.

When Owens demanded Lorincz's attention to the matter, Lorincz was accused of shooting and killing Owens with a .380-caliber handgun, CBS News reported.

Lorincz claimed self-defense and harassment in the trial, reports say.

“I so wish I could go back and change things so she was still here,” Lorincz said in an apology to Owens' family, the Associated Press reported. “I never intended to kill anyone.”

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represented Owens' family, said he is grateful for the guilty verdict, per a statement obtained by CBS News.

"AJ Owens was a devoted mother whose life was tragically cut short, leaving her children, including a young son who witnessed this horrific act, to carry the burden of her loss," Crump's statement said. "While nothing can erase the pain they've endured, today's decision sends a clear message that senseless violence will be met with accountability. We will continue to stand by AJ's family as they heal and fight for a future where no family has to experience such devastating loss."

Owens’ family pushed for the maximum prison sentence after Lorincz was convicted by an all-white jury. Owens' mother, Pamela Dias, said in court that she now is the sole caregiver of her daughter's four children and that they are deeply traumatized by the killing.

“We’re hurting with a pain that will never, never go away," Dias said. "There’s a hole in our heart that will never mend. Susan destroyed our family.”

This story contains reporting from the Associated Press.