Florida woman sentenced to 25 years in fatal shooting of neighbor Ajike Owens
Susan Lorincz was sentenced on 25 years in prison on Monday for fatally shooting her neighbor Ajike "AJ" Owens through a locked door.
The sentencing came after Lorincz was found guilty in August of first-degree felony manslaughter with a firearm. Lorincz had faced up to 30 years in prison.
The incident occurred in Ocala, Florida, on June 2, 2023.
"I find that the shooting was completely unnecessary," Judge Robert Hodges said. "In this case, Ms. Lorincz was behind the door. The door was locked. She had already called law enforcement. They were en route. She knew they were en route. She was in a relatively safe position. For some reason, she went into her room and found a gun."
Hodges continued, "She could have stayed in the room and put another locked door between her and Ms. Owens, but she came back out, put herself in front of the door, and at the time she fired the gun through the door, she was safe."
"There was no indication that she did not understand what she was doing of that shooting a person was against the law," the judge also said.
Owens' family, who had called for the maximum penalty of 30 years, spoke outside the courtroom on Monday evening after Lorincz was sentenced.
Pamela Dias, Owens' mother, told reporters that the family is "pleased" with the 25-year sentence.
"As I stated, and as the judge stated, this shooting -- this killing, this death of a mother, a daughter, a friend -- should have never happened, but we got justice today and now we truly can forge ahead on the journey of true healing," Dias said.
Lorincz, who is white, shot Owens, a Black mother of four, in the presence of her young son. Owens had approached Lorincz's door following a dispute about her children playing near Lorincz's home, according to a June 6, 2023, statement from the Marion County Sheriff's Office.
During her sentencing hearing, Lorincz recounted various disputes she had with Owens and her children prior to the shooting and claimed that she was "terrified" of Owens. She also denied calling Owens' children racial slurs.
"I'm so sorry that I took AJ's life. I never intended to kill her," Lorincz said in a statement directed at Owens' mother and children.
"I am just profoundly sad. Not only did a mother die, but a daughter, a sister," Lorincz said. "I think of your family's loss and know how hard it is to lose someone you love."
Asked about Lorincz's apology, Dias said, "Susan's apology was a last-ditch attempt to save herself. It wasn't sincere. She never showed remorse. As I stated before, her remorse that she showed, if any, at best, was for herself."
"It was a lackluster apology," she added.
Dias shared a victim impact statement during Monday's hearing, where she called for Lorincz to be held "fully accountable" for the fatal shooting.
"Susan's reckless act of manslaughter rendered my four grandchildren motherless," she said. "Sadly, Titus, Africa, Israel and Isaac have to live their remaining lives as a motherless child."
"Our pain and suffering didn't end when we buried Ajike. Our pain and suffering didn't end when Susan was found guilty of manslaughter. Our pain and suffering won't end with today's sentencing. Our pain and suffering will last a lifetime," she added.
Meanwhile, Lorincz's legal team called a host of family and friends who testified on behalf of Lorincz, highlighting her Christian faith, her role as a caretaker for her sister and her dedication to taking care of her nephew, as well as various examples where she supported her friends.
Her sister Ellyn Lorincz testified about alleged sexual and physical abuse that the sisters experienced at the hands of their father and a psychologist testified about Lorincz's "chronic PTSD" diagnosis.
Lorincz's legal team asked the judge to consider probation and said that Lorincz would benefit from PTSD treatment. The prosecution said that the department of corrections offers mental health treatment and argued that "PTSD was not a driving force" in this case.
Lorincz's attorney, Amanda Sizemore, declined to comment in response to a request from ABC News.
After a jury found Lorincz guilty on Aug. 16, Judge Robert Hodges said that Lorincz would be held in the Marion County jail without bond until her sentencing.
Ahead of Lorincz's sentencing hearing, Owens' family shared a statement with ABC News through their attorney, calling for the judge to assign "the maximum penalty under the law."
They said that while the guilty verdict was an "important step," they were still seeking "justice" in the form of sentencing.
Lorincz pleaded not guilty to the charges she was facing in court.
During the trial, her defense team argued that she should be found not guilty because she was acting in self-defense. They said that she feared for her life.
Meanwhile, prosecutors argued that Lorincz should be found guilty because she fatally shot an "unarmed" Owens through a "locked" door.
