Lorincz pleads not guilty to manslaughter charge in shooting death of her neighbor

OCALA, Fla. (WCJB) - The woman accused of shooting Ajike “AJ” Owens, a mother of four, through her front door during a dispute has announced her plea.

Susan Lorincz is pleading not guilty to manslaughter in connection to the shooting on June 2. She has also waived her right to an arraignment and will not appear in court on Tuesday.

Prosecutors say Lorincz got into an argument with one of Owens’ children. The child told his mother who knocked on Lorincz’s door to confront her about the incident.

Lorincz fired through her front door, hitting and killing Owens. Her son was standing next to Owens when she was shot. Lorincz has claimed she felt threatened by Owens as she knocked on the door.

RELATED: ‘Justice for AJ’: Family, friends rally to honor Ajike Owens

Before the shooting, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office was called out to the neighborhood on numerous occasions by Lorincz. She would report the children for being too loud or playing too close to her home.

She has admitted to calling the children racial slurs. She also says she bought the weapon used in the shooting after a previous argument with Owens about her children.

Members of Owens’ family and others in the community have called for Lorincz to be charged with second-degree murder. The state attorney’s office says there is not enough evidence that Lorincz has a “depraved mind” when shooting at Owens to support a murder charge. The family argues the numerous incidents before the shooting prove Lorincz has ill will toward the victim.

Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.