Killing of Ajike Owens
43ms
On June 2nd, 2023, in Ocala, Florida, 35-year-old Ajike "AJ" Shantrell Owens was shot and killed by her neighbor, 58-year-old Susan Lorincz. Owens had been knocking on Lorincz's door following altercations between Owens' children and Lorincz in a nearby field. Lorincz fired through the door, striking Owens. Police were already en route to a trespassing call at the location when a second 911 call reported a shooting. They found Owens injured and transported her to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead. This tragic case drew national attention, sparking renewed debate around "stand-your-ground" laws. In August 2024, Lorincz was convicted of manslaughter, and in November of the same year, she received a 25-year prison sentence. The shooting later became the subject of the 2025 documentary, "The Perfect Neighbor."
Lorincz had a history of conflict with Owens and her family predating the fatal shooting. Since January 2021, deputies had responded to approximately six calls related to an ongoing neighborhood dispute between them. A neighbor living opposite Lorincz reported that Lorincz was frequently angered by Owens' children playing outside, often directing "nasty things" at them. An affidavit filed after Lorincz's arrest revealed a detective's account of Lorincz admitting to using racial slurs when addressing the children.
The shooting unfolded after police interviewed Owens' children and neighbors who had witnessed Lorincz arguing with them. Accounts indicated that during the confrontation, Lorincz threw a roller skate, hitting one child in the foot, and swung an umbrella at another. After the children informed their mother, Owens went to Lorincz's home to confront her. Owens, accompanied by her 10-year-old son, knocked on Lorincz's door, and was subsequently shot. Lorincz maintained she acted in self-defense, claiming Owens was attempting to break down her door and had previously tried to attack her. A neighbor across the street heard Owens' son crying out, "They shot my mama, they shot my mama," and rushed to administer CPR. Lorincz made two 911 calls: the first, a trespassing call after confronting the children, and the second, after shooting Owens. Deputies were responding to the initial call when the shooting call came in. They discovered Owens on the grass, suffering from a gunshot wound, and she was later pronounced deceased at the hospital.
The case gained significant national traction, reigniting discussions about Florida's "stand-your-ground" laws. On June 5th, 2023, Marion County Sheriff Woods stated that the state's "stand-your-ground" law would need to be considered before any arrests could be made, noting that initial information came primarily from Lorincz, and efforts were ongoing to contact and interview Owens' children. The following day, June 6th, 2023, approximately 30 protestors gathered outside the Marion County Judicial Center, demanding Lorincz's arrest. Chief prosecutor and state attorney William Gladson met with the protestors, urging calm and explaining that the ongoing investigation could be compromised by premature actions. Following interviews and a review of surveillance footage and digital evidence, police arrested Lorincz on June 7th, 2023, charging her with manslaughter with a firearm, culpable negligence, battery, and two counts of assault. Addressing the applicability of Florida's "stand-your-ground" law, Sheriff Billy Woods stated at a press conference, "This situation is a prime example of when it was not justified. It was simply a killing." On August 16th, 2024, an all-white, six-person jury found Lorincz guilty of manslaughter after two hours of deliberation. On November 25th, 2024, she was sentenced to 25 years in prison and, as of 2025, was serving her sentence at the Homestead Correctional Institution in Homestead, Florida.
In the wake of the shooting, many of Owens' supporters and family members called for a reevaluation and clarification of "stand-your-ground" laws. A law professor from William and Mary Law School expressed concern over a widespread misunderstanding of the rule, suggesting it had devolved into a "shoot first think later" mentality for some. The GoFundMe page established by Owens' family after the shooting indicated their partnership with national advocacy groups to push for changes to "stand-your-ground" legislation. Following Lorincz's sentencing, Owens' mother and a friend launched "Standing In The Gap," a fund dedicated to providing financial assistance to families affected by racial violence. They also announced the 2025 release of a documentary about the shooting and a partnership for a mural in Ocala. The documentary, titled "The Perfect Neighbor," incorporated police bodycam footage and earned a Directing Award at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.
In a statement, Owens' mother, Pamela Dias, shared that the child standing next to Owens when she passed was deeply affected by grief and guilt, feeling he couldn't successfully perform CPR. According to Dias, the child told her, "Grandma, grandma. I couldn't save her." The executive director of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America described the incident as a senseless act, attributing it to lax gun laws and a culture that encourages immediate violence.
On June 2, 2023, in Ocala, Florida, 35-year-old Ajike "AJ" Shantrell Owens was shot and killed by her neighbor, 58-year-old Susan Lorincz. Owens was knocking on Lorincz's door after altercations occurred between Owens' children and Lorincz in a field nearby. Lorincz shot Owens through the door. Police were already responding to "a trespassing call" when they received another 911 call about a shooting at the same address. They found Owens injured and took her to the hospital where she was pronounced dead.
The case received national attention and debate around stand-your-ground laws. In August 2024, Lorincz was found guilty of manslaughter, and in November 2024 she was sentenced to 25 years in prison. In 2025, the shooting was the basis for the documentary film The Perfect Neighbor.
== Background ==
Lorincz had contentious history with Owens and her family before the fatal shooting. Since January 2021, deputies had responded to about half a dozen calls concerning an ongoing neighborhood feud involving the parties.
A neighbor living across from Lorincz stated that Lorincz was angry all of the time due to Owens' children playing outside, and that Lorincz would say "nasty things to them".
In an affidavit following Lorincz's arrest, a detective said Lorincz admitted to addressing the children with racial slurs.
== Shooting ==
Police interviewed Owens' children along with neighbors who overheard Lorincz arguing with the children. They reported that during the argument Lorincz threw a roller skate at the children, hitting one of them in the foot, and also swung an umbrella at another one of them. After the children told their mother about the incident, Owens went to Lorincz's home to confront her. Owens was with her 10-year-old son when she knocked on Lorincz's door, and then she was shot.
Lorincz claimed she was acting in self defense and claimed Owens was trying to break down her door. Lorincz also claimed in the past Owens had tried to attack her. A neighbor from across the street heard Owens' son yelling "They shot my mama, they shot my mama" and ran to perform CPR. Lorincz called 911 twice: the first was a trespassing call after she confronted the children, and the second was after she shot Owens. Deputies were already responding to the first 911 call when the second came in. The deputies found Owens lying in the grass, suffering from a gunshot wound. Owens was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
== Legal ==
The case received national attention and "reignited" debate about national stand-your-ground laws.
During an interview on June 5, 2023, Marion County Sheriff Woods stated they would have to consider Florida's Stand Your Ground law before making any arrests and had primarily only heard from Lorincz and were still working on contacting and interviewing Owens' children.
On June 6, 2023, 30 protestors gathered outside the Marion County Judicial Center to demand the arrest of Lorincz. Chief prosecutor and state attorney William Gladson, met with protestors and urged them to be calm, indicating that the investigation was still on-going and they did not want to compromise it.
After conducting interviews, and reviewing surveillance footage and digital evidence, the police arrested Lorincz on June 7, 2023, and charged her with manslaughter with a firearm, culpable negligence, battery and two counts of assault. On the matter of whether Florida's Stand Your Ground law applied, Sheriff Billy Woods said in a press conference that "This situation is a prime example of when it was not justified. It was simply a killing."
On August 16, 2024, Lorincz was found guilty of manslaughter by an all-white six person jury, after two hours of deliberation. On November 25, 2024, Lorincz was sentenced to 25 years in prison. As of 2025, Lorincz was serving her sentence at the Homestead Correctional Institution in Homestead, Florida.
== Aftermath ==
In the aftermath of the shooting, many proponents and family members of Owens called for a reevaluation of the Stand Your Ground rules, along with potential clarification on the rule. A law professor at William and Mary Law School indicated that she was concerned that there was a widespread misunderstanding of the rule, and that it had turned into a "shoot first think later" belief by some. The GoFundMe page that was set up by the Owens family after the shooting indicated that they had partnered with national advocacy groups to promote changing of Stand Your Ground laws.
After Lorincz's sentencing, Owens' mother and her friend started a fund called Standing In The Gap to provide financial support for families affected by racial violence. They also announced a documentary about the shooting releasing in 2025, and a partnership for a mural in Ocala. The documentary, titled The Perfect Neighbor, used police bodycam footage and won a Directing Award at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.
== Response ==
In a statement, Owens' mother Pamela Dias stated that the child standing next to Owens when she died was consumed with grief and guilt that he was unable to successfully perform CPR on Owens. According to Dias the child told her "Grandma, grandma. I couldn't save her."
The executive director of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America told reporters that it was a senseless act resulting from lax gun laws and a culture of shooting first.
== See also ==
Shooting of Ralph Yarl
Killing of Trayvon Martin
== References ==
Home
Languages