A 58-year-old Ocala woman was arrested by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office in connection with the shooting death of her neighbor on Friday, June 2.
At approximately 9 p.m. on the night of the fatal shooting, MCSO deputies were responding to a trespassing call in the 1600 block of SW 107th Lane in Ocala when they received a report about a shooting at the same location.
Upon arrival at the incident location, deputies located 35-year-old Ajike “AJ” Owens in front of her neighbor’s apartment. MCSO identified the neighbor as Susan Louise Lorincz.
Owens had sustained a gunshot wound, and deputies rendered aid until Marion County Fire Rescue arrived on scene. Owens was then transported to HCA Florida Ocala Hospital where she succumbed to her fatal injuries.
MCSO Major Crimes detectives responded to the scene of the shooting and launched an investigation. During that evening and the days that followed, detectives interviewed multiple witnesses, including the victim’s children. Lorincz was also interviewed by detectives.
In addition to the interviews, MCSO stated that detectives gathered forensic evidence, digital evidence, and surveillance footage that was obtained from various sources. Detectives also reviewed the details of prior incidents and calls for service involving both Lorincz and the victim.
According to MCSO, the evidence that was gathered during the investigation showed that Lorincz had become angry at the victim’s children over a period of time because they were playing in a field close to her home.
On the night of the fatal shooting, Lorincz engaged in an argument with the victim’s children, and a neighbor overheard Lorincz “yelling at them.” During this argument, MCSO stated that Lorincz threw a roller skate at the victim’s 10-year-old son, and it struck his toe.
After this incident, the victim’s 10-year-old child and his 12-year-old brother both approached Lorincz’s apartment to speak with her. When Lorincz opened her front door, she swung at the children with an umbrella, according to MCSO.
The two children returned home and told the victim what had happened. The victim then approached Lorincz’s home, knocked on the front door multiple times, and demanded that Lorincz come outside. MCSO stated that Lorincz proceeded to fire one shot through the door, which struck the victim in her upper chest. At the time of the fatal shooting, the victim’s 10-year-old son was standing nearby.
During an interview with detectives, Lorincz claimed that she had acted in self-defense. She stated that the victim had been “trying to break down her door” prior to the gunshot being fired. She further claimed that the victim had “come after her” in the past and had previously attacked her, according to MCSO.
The sheriff’s office held a press conference on Monday, and Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods stated, “Most states don’t have the Stand Your Ground law. What a lot of people don’t understand is that law has specific instructions for us in law enforcement. And anytime that we think or perceive or believe that that might come into play, we cannot make an arrest.”
After a thorough investigation was conducted, which included statements from multiple eyewitnesses, MCSO detectives determined that Lorincz’s actions “were not justifiable under Florida law.”
Lorincz was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail where she is currently being held without bond. She is being charged with manslaughter with a firearm, which is a first-degree felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison. In addition, she is facing charges for culpable negligence, battery, and two counts of assault.
Lorincz is scheduled to make her first appearance in court on Thursday, June 8.
Sheriff Woods released a statement following Lorincz’s arrest: “I want to thank my detectives for working tirelessly to fully investigate this case. I also want to thank Ms. Owens’ family for their patience as we conducted the diligent investigation that we were bound by law to conduct.”
The sheriff added, “Ms. Lorincz’s fate is now in the hands of the judicial system which I trust will deliver justice in due course.”