OCALA, Fla. — A six-person, all-white panel of jurors will decide if a white woman was justified in killing her Black neighbor amid an ongoing dispute in Marion County last summer.
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Deputies said Susan Lorincz shot Ajike “AJ” Owens through a locked metal door, ending a series of events that began when Lorincz hurled racial insults and objects at Owens’ kids for playing on a patch of grass outside Lorincz’s home.
Owens, alerted by her children, went to Lorincz’s house to confront her. Lorincz claimed she shot in self-defense because she was afraid Owens would break down her door, though deputies said there was no evidence Owens was trying to enter Lorincz’s home.
Deputies also said they had been called to mediate disagreements between the two seven times before the shooting.
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During hours of questioning Monday, jurors were asked about their own histories and beliefs on subjects like neighbor disputes, working with children, impartiality, the Fifth Amendment and – predominantly – guns and self-defense.
Three of the potential jurors being questioned were Black. One of them was dismissed for cause because he said he couldn’t find self-defense when the victim wasn’t armed. Another was dismissed after he said he couldn’t be impartial and didn’t want to see autopsy photos. A third was excused after she disclosed she was a violent crime victim and didn’t call the police.
The four women and two men chosen from the 40-person pool included three gun owners and three people with ties to law enforcement. All said they supported some restrictions on gun ownership. Most appeared to be middle-aged and had kids of their own. The youngest-looking juror complained about his neighbor’s noisy motorcycle.
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All repeatedly affirmed they could be impartial, stick to the facts laid out in court and Florida law. Many other potential jurors were struck because they said they knew too much about the highly-publicized shooting and had already formed an opinion.
Two women will serve as alternates. Like the six seated jurors, neither are Black.
“We had hoped that there would be jurors selected that would have shared the life experiences and the culture of AJ,” Attorney Benjamin Crump said following the court’s dismissal for the day.
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He and fellow attorney Anthony Thomas said they were confident that the jurors, regardless of their backgrounds, would be persuaded by the basic facts of the case and justice for Owens would be granted.
Thomas also said two of Owens’ kids, aged 10 and 13, would be called to testify during the trial, which was expected to last the week. The 10-year-old was beside Owens when she was shot.
“This is an unimaginably painful experience for them as they continue to grapple with the deep emotional wounds caused by losing their mother in such a violent way,” Thomas said.
The judge ordered the court to be reconvened for opening statements at 9 a.m.
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