A Florida woman has been arrested in the US state of Florida for shooting to death a neighbor after protesters demanded her arrest over an alleged racist crime, local authorities said.
Sheriff Billy Woods of Marion County, Ocala, told the Associated Press that “Susan Lorincz, 58, white … has been arrested on charges of murdering Ajike Owens, 35, African American.”
According to the Associated Press, authorities were under pressure from protesters demanding the arrest of Susan Lorincz, who fired a gun at the door of the home last Friday, killing the neighbor standing outside.
When questioned, Lorincz claimed she acted in “self-defense” and that Owens had already tried to break down her door. She added that Owens had already chased her in the past and he had already attacked her.
The investigation — including obtaining witness statements — allowed detectives to determine that Lorincz’s actions were not justified “under Florida law” (protection of property), according to a statement from the sheriff’s office.
About three dozen protesters, mostly African Americans, gathered outside the Marion County Judicial Center to demand Lorincz’s arrest.
State Attorney General William Gladson met with protest organizers and called for calm as the investigation continues.
Among the protesters, Rev. Bernard Tuggerson said the African-American community of Ocala, north of Floria, has been “injustly treated” for years.
“The province is suffering and needs to be completely healed,” he said, demanding answers about the crime.
The sheriff said Owens was shot just after she went to the neighbor’s apartment, who had “screamed at Owens’ kids” as they were playing in a field next to the houses.
Prior to the shooting, Susan Lorincz reportedly yelled “racial slurs at children,” said civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents the victim’s family.
The sheriff also said officers have responded to at least six calls since January 2021 regarding what police described as “feuds between Owens and the woman who shot her.”
“There was a lot of aggression on both sides, whether it was banging on doors, banging on walls and making threats. And then Owens got shot through the door,” the sheriff said.
Source: DN
