Florida woman told 911 dispatcher she felt threatened before fatally shooting neighbor through door
CNN —
A Florida woman charged with manslaughter in the fatal shooting of her neighbor, a Black mother who confronted her during a dispute over children playing outside, told police in a 911 call she felt threatened just moments before authorities say she killed the mother of four.
Marion County officials released seven 911 calls from June 2, when authorities say Susan Louise Lorincz fatally shot Ajike “AJ” Owens through the front door of Lorincz’s home near Ocala, Florida, as Owens repeatedly knocked on her door, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said.
Owens knocked and demanded Lorincz come out of her apartment after the 58-year-old White woman yelled at Owens’ children and threw a roller skate at her 10-year-old son, hitting him, the sheriff’s office said.
In addition to manslaughter with a firearm, Lorincz is facing charges of culpable negligence, battery and two counts of assault, the sheriff’s office said last week. Lorincz remains in custody on a $154,000 bond.
When reached by CNN, an attorney for Lorincz said she had no comment on the case at this time.
Two of the 911 calls were made by Lorincz before and moments after Owens was killed, while several other calls came in as police were headed to the scene. Those calls reported possible shots fired in the area, according to an arrest affidavit. Information on the callers on all the tapes was redacted.
In her first call, Lorincz complained to a dispatcher about children that she said were on her property.
“I’ve got kids trespassing. Leaving all their toys around. Just screaming, yelling, just being absolutely obnoxious,” she said. “I went and threw the roller skate over to the other side, the kid says he’s going to beat me up for that and he’s mouthing off to me. I feel threatened in my own home.”
“There are several kids out there right now. I’m fearing for my life. I’ve very scared,” Lorincz continued.
During that call, the dispatcher told Lorincz to keep her doors and windows locked and advised her that an officer would be dispatched, according to the tape. A few minutes later, as deputies were headed to the scene, several other 911 calls reported shots fired in that same area, according to the affidavit.
Pamela Dias, the mother of Ajike Owens, center, puts roses on the casket at the grave after the funeral for Owens on June 12, 2023. Alan Youngblood/AP
Lorincz threw roller skates at child, affidavit says
One of Owens’ sons told a deputy he’d been playing basketball in the street while his younger 10-year-old brother played in the nearby field, according to the affidavit. The child told the deputy his younger brother told him that he had left an electronic tablet in the field and said Lorincz had picked it up.
When the 10-year-old asked Lorincz to return the tablet, the woman threw it to the ground and yelled at him, he told the deputy. The child claimed Lorincz threw roller skates at him, according to the affidavit.
The affidavit says the older child told his younger sibling to tell their mother what happened, and then he approached Lorincz’s front door and yelled, “You want to throw something, throw it at me!”
Lorincz came out of her home and told him he was trespassing and swung an umbrella in his direction, the affidavit stated.
One of the children went to get their mother, Owens, the affidavit says.
“Shortly after, the victim approached Lorincz’ front door and banged on the door, yelling for Lorincz to throw something at her if she wanted to throw something,” the affidavit said.
In her second 911 call, Lorincz recalled the shooting to the dispatcher as her voice was shaking.
“Oh my God. This lady just tried to break down my door. I shot through the door. Oh my God,” she said.
“The woman was screaming and yelling at me trying to break down my door. I didn’t know what to do. I grabbed my gun and shot at the door because I thought she was going to kill me,” Lorincz continued.
The older child then heard a “loud bang” and witnessed his mother “stumbling” away from the door while telling him to call 911, according to information obtained by a deputy, which is laid out in the affidavit.
When deputies arrived at the scene, Owens was found on the ground and was transported to a local hospital, where she later died.
Lorincz claims self-defense, says she felt in ‘danger’ before shooting
Susan Louise Lorincz, 58, was arrested on charges of manslaughter with a firearm, culpable negligence, battery and two counts of assault, the Marion County Sheriff's Office said. Marion County Sheriff's Office
According to an arrest affidavit, Lorincz claimed to investigators that she was acting in self-defense, saying she thought Owens was trying to break down her door and that she heard the victim threatening to kill her.
Lorincz said she discharged her firearm because “she felt like she was in ‘mortal danger,’” the document says.
Detectives, however, determined Lorincz’s actions “were not justifiable under Florida law,” the sheriff’s office said.
In the days since the killing, Owens’ family had repeatedly called for the arrest and charging of the shooter, insisting the incident was unprovoked and unjustified.
They also accused Lorincz of harassing the children and calling them racial slurs.
When investigators asked Lorincz about allegations of her calling children in the neighborhood racial slurs, “Lorincz admitted to having used the n-word toward children out of anger in the past and also to calling children other derogatory terms,” the affidavit says.
Last week, a judge set her bond at $150,000 for the felony charge and another $4,000 for four misdemeanor counts. Lorincz, who had told the court she could only afford a bond of $1,700, is unemployed and owns about $3,000 worth of furniture.
The state requested a $200,000 bond.
The owner of the apartment where Lorincz lives told detectives she was being evicted, according to a prosecutor – and the judge recommended Lorincz not return there. Her arraignment is set for July 11, according to court records.
A judge ruled that if Lorincz posts bond, she will not be allowed to possess a firearm or any other weapon, nor is she allowed to have any contact with the victim’s family. The ruling says if she returns to her apartment to gather belongings, she will have to have someone accompany her. She is allowed to live in her apartment as long as she isn’t evicted. Lorincz will also have to wear an ankle monitor.
Source: CNN
