Neighbor charged with killing Ocala mother of 4 makes first appearance

The woman charged with shooting and killing her Ocala neighbor and mother of four after a dispute over her children playing in a nearby yard made her first appearance in court Thursday morning.

Susan Louise Lorincz, 58, was at the Marion County Jail and appeared in front of County Judge Lori Cotton via video. She's charged with manslaughter with a firearm, culpable negligence, two counts of assault and battery.

Assistant public defenders Sean Gravel and Amanda Sizemore are representing Lorincz, who is on suicide watch and being held without bond.

On June 2, Ajike "AJ" Shantrell Owens, 35, was shot in her Ocala neighborhood by Lorincz, who claims she did so in self-defense. Lorincz is accused of yelling at Owens's children, using racial slurs and throwing skates at them, which led to them telling their mother. Owens went to confront her neighbor at her home, at which point, Lorincz fired a shot from inside her locked house, striking Owens in the chest. She later died at a nearby hospital.

After mass protest and the case gaining national attention, the Marion County Sheriff's Office arrested Lorincz. She told detectives that she was fearful that Owens was going to kill her, though investigators later determined Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law did not apply to her situation.

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Due to the severity of the charges and the defendant and her ability to flea , Assistant State Attorney James Moody asked the judge to deny bond. If one is given, he added, it should be significantly higher due to the nature of the crimes.

The bond hearing is scheduled for Friday.

Lorincz, who has lived in the region for about 15 years and has no criminal record, told the judge that she was working at United Healthcare making appointments for clients with Medicare or Medicaid prior to filing for disability. She has no savings and doesn't own the home that she is expected to be evicted from.

The Owens family is being represented by famed civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump and his firm. He has represented other Black families in high-profile cases, such as George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Trayvon Martin.

State leaders

Reaction to Lorincz's arrest have been widespread. Two state Democratic House leaders, Fentrice Driskell from Tampa, and Gainesville's Yvonne Hayes Hinson, whose district includes Marion County, have issued statements.

"I am relieved that we are taking steps toward justice with the arrest of the woman who killed Ajike “AJ” Owens," Driskell said.

"I know the delayed arrest caused anger, distress, and heartache for a lot of us. Four children lost their mother over a neighborhood feud. Sheriff Woods said very clearly what many of us felt, that this was an absolutely unjustified killing. Sadly, this is yet another example of how Florida’s Stand Your Ground law confuses and complicates criminal investigations."

Hayes Hinson said she was grateful for the work done by Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods to show it was "an unlawful murder."

“This is the first of many steps towards justice, and I want to thank everyone, from Marion County and beyond, for their outpouring of support for Ms. Owens’ family," Hayes Hinson said. "Through our pursuit of justice, we honor her life and denounce her senseless, tragic death."

The House representative went on to describe how Florida has a gun violence crisis.

"... We need to address it immediately, before the next child loses their mother to a senseless, preventable crime like the one that took Ajike “AJ” Owens from her four children," she said in her statement.

Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com or @almillerosb

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Ocala neighbor who shot, killed mother of 4 makes first appearance