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A Florida woman accused of fatally shooting a mother-of-four will not face murder charges, a state attorney reportedly said Monday.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Susan Lorincz, 58, stands accused of fatally shooting Ajike “AJ” Owens by firing through her front door in Marion County earlier this month. According to police, the victim’s 9-year-old son was standing next to Owens when she was shot after Owens knocked on Lorincz’s door to confront her about threatening her children.
Lorincz was initially charged with murder but that charge has since been dropped to manslaughter, Fox 35 reports. State Attorney William Gladson said in a news release that Lorincz is now charged with manslaughter due to “insufficient evidence” on the murder charge.
Lorincz was also facing culpable negligence and battery but those charges, too, have been dropped. However, in addition to manslaughter, she’s also facing “culpable negligence, battery, and assault.”
“We firmly believe that justice demands nothing less,” Anthony Thomas, an attorney for the victim’s family, said Monday.
“The failure of the prosecutor to charge Susan with what truly reflected her wanton, reckless behavior undermines our ability to even get real accountability. Nevertheless, our resolve remains unwavering, and we will continue to fight.”
Prosecutors charged Lorincz with assault and battery after she allegedly threw skates at the victim’s children, who were playing near her home on the day in question. The skates hit one of the children, prosecutors said.
The state also alleges that Lorincz swung an umbrella at two of the kids when they went to her door.
Lorincz told police that Owens was attempting to break down her door, but neighbor Lauren Smith told The Associated Press that Owens did not have a weapon and did not initiate an altercation with the shooter. Other neighbors described the defendant as a hostile person who often harassed children in the area and made false police reports.
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Lorincz “was angry all the time that the children were playing out there,” Smith told the AP. “She would say nasty things to them.”
Daily Beast reports that Lorincz told police that she had ongoing problems with Owens’ sons for around two years. These issues stemmed from their reported disregard for her personal peace and privacy.
Lorincz reportedly said that the children frequently played near her apartment, trespassed, and threatened to end her life, according to what she told police.
Smith said after the shooting, one of Owens’ sons was yelling “They shot my mama, they shot my mama,” according to the AP.
Check back for updates.
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[Feature Photo: Police escort Susan Lorincz after her arrest/Marion County Sheriff’s Office]
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