Susan Lorincz, the white Florida woman accused of fatally shooting of a Black neighbor through a closed door, has been officially charged with manslaughter.
State Attorney William Gladson’s announcement was met with disappointment from Ajike “AJ” Owens’ family members, who sought a murder charge. The local sheriff previously characterized the shooting as “simply a killing” — one that serves as a “prime example” of when Florida’s “stand your ground” law does not apply.
According to authorities, Lorincz shot Owens through a closed door in Ocala, Florida, while Owens was trying to speak to her about an encounter between Lorincz and her children. The Marion County Sheriff’s Office has said Lorincz, 58, had a long-standing “neighborhood feud” with the 35-year-old mother of four.
Neighbors have said Lorincz has a history of harassing kids in the neighborhood and using racial slurs against them. And according to her arrest report, Lorincz admitted to authorities that she had used racial slurs against Owens’ children.
NBC News reported Monday that Lorincz’s defense lawyer declined to comment.
Owens’ mother, Pamela Dias, told ABC News that the family is “devastated” by the charging decision.
“How do I explain to AJ’s children, my young grandbabies, that the loss of their mother’s life is still not being taken seriously?” Dias said in a statement. “Only a living breathing AJ would be true justice, and today’s charge could not be further from that.”
In an interview with Joy on “The ReidOut” on June 5, Dias revealed that she’s now the primary caretaker for her four grandchildren. Attorney Benjamin Crump, who’s representing the family and joined Dias in that interview, provided the following statement to The ReidOut Blog after the charging decision:
It is so very sad on top of this tragedy that the killer of AJ Owens who shot thru a locked metal door is being charged with manslaughter, that carries a sentence of probation up to 30 years in prison. The fact that her possible sentence will be only probation is utterly disgusting considering she shot a black woman in front of her children thru a locked metal door. We know if the rolls were reversed, AJ Owens would be charged with a crime that would never allow her to get only probation.
On Wednesday, Gladson claimed he had “insufficient evidence” to charge Lorincz with second-degree murder because, he said, he couldn’t prove “to the exclusion of every reasonable doubt” that she had acted with a depraved mind when she shot Owens through a door. The state attorney said the charge Lorincz faces, manslaughter with a firearm, is a first-degree felony that carries a potential penalty of up to 30 years in prison.
Gladson’s announcement reminds me of Dias’ call to action earlier this month:
To all of the community. To the leaders behind me. Each and every one of you that is here. Those who are not. Ocala, Marion County, Florida, United States, I am calling on you to not fail those [four children]. Do not fail Ajike. Do not fail AJ. Do not fail your friends, your family, your daughters. We don’t know how long this is gonna take. But we can’t grow tired. We cannot be weary. Please — please do not let my daughter’s dying go in vain.
Time — and a jury — will tell us whether that call is answered.
The idea of Lorincz avoiding a murder charge feels like a setback. But there’s still an opportunity for some accountability. And many, many people around the country who are observing this case will continue to demand that.
Ja’han Jones is an MS NOW opinion blogger. He previously wrote The ReidOut Blog.