Prosecutor says ‘insufficient evidence’ for murder charge against white woman for fatally shooting Black neighbor knocking on her front door

Susan Louise Lorincz and Ajike "AJ" Owens (Marion County Sheriff

Susan Louise Lorincz and Ajike “AJ” Owens (Marion County Sheriff’s Office)

Prosecutors in Florida have decided not to file murder charges against a 58-year-old white woman who admitted to shooting and killing her neighbor, a Black 35-year-old mother of four, by firing a gun through her locked front door as the victim stood on the porch knocking. Prosecutors on Monday announced that they formally charged Susan Lorincz with one count of manslaughter with a firearm and one count of assault for the fatal shooting of Ajike “AJ” Owens earlier this month, reasoning that there was “insufficient evidence” to prove she committed murder.

The decision goes against a public outcry from the victim’s family and community leaders that Lorincz should face murder charges for killing Owens.

According to a press release from the Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney William Gladson, prosecutors performed a thorough analysis of possible charges before declining to pursue a murder charge against Lorincz.

“In making the filing decision on this case, my office carefully examined the viability of both second degree murder and manslaughter with a firearm, both first degree felonies,” Gladson said in the release. “In order to prove the crime of second degree murder, the State must prove beyond and to the exclusion of every reasonable doubt, the existence of a depraved mind toward the victim at the time of the killing. Depraved mind requires evidence of hatred, spite, ill will or evil intent toward the victim at the time of the killing. As deplorable as the defendant’s actions were in this case, there is insufficient evidence to prove this specific and required element of second degree murder.”

Owens’ family has previously claimed that Lorincz regularly antagonized Owens and her children, allegedly calling them the “n-word” and “slaves” on several occasions.

Lorincz has repeatedly claimed that she was in fear for her life from Owens and fired the gun through her locked front door in self-defense as Owens was standing on her porch.

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