Jury finds Marion County woman who fatally shot neighbor through door guilty

MARION COUNTY, Fla. — Read live updates about the verdict in Susan Lorincz’s trial below, and watch live updates on Channel 9:

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3:37 p.m. update

Relatives and friends of Ajike “AJ” Owen are reacting to Friday’s verdict. Click here to stream their remarks live.

3:15 p.m. update

Jurors on Friday afternoon found Susan Lorincz, 59, guilty of manslaughter in the 2023 fatal shooting of her neighbor, Ajike “AJ” Owens, 35.

“This case is undoubtedly a tragic reminder of the devastating consequences of gun violence,” said Bill Gladson, state attorney for the Fifth Judicial Circuit. “The defendant’s choices have left four young children without their mother -- a loss that will be felt for the rest of their lives. While today’s verdict can’t bring AJ back, we hope it brings some measure of justice and peace to her family and friends.”

The shooting happened June 2, 2023, at an apartment complex in the Quail Run development near Ocala.

Read: Would you convict Susan Lorincz? Here’s what the jury is being told

Marion County deputies initially received a 911 call about children trespassing on private property, but while deputies were traveling to the apartment complex, they received a second 911 call from Lorincz saying that she had fired a gun.

Owens died after being shot once in the chest.

Prosecutors said that more than 30 witnesses testified during Lorincz’s trial.

She could face a 30-year prison sentence.

See Lorincz’s reaction as the verdict was read aloud in the video above.

2:54 p.m. update

A jury found Susan Lorincz guilty of manslaughter in the 2023 fatal shooting of Ajike Owens in June 2023 in Marion County.

Watch live updates on Channel 9 or by clicking here.

2:40 p.m. update

Jury reaches verdict in trial of Marion County woman who killed neighbor by shooting through door.

Click here to stream live, and watch live updates on Channel 9.

1:45 p.m. update

Jurors returned to the courtroom with a question for the judge.

The jury had several questions about damage to the front door that Lorincz shot through, killing Owens.

The judge told jurors that he cannot answer their questions and that they must consider the evidence that was presented to them during the trial.

1:20 p.m. update

Jurors listened to each of the two 911 calls that Lorincz made after the shooting.

They then returned to the deliberation room to continue deliberating the case.

1:10 p.m. update

While deliberating the case, the jury asked the judge to replay recordings of two 911 calls that Susan Lorincz made after the shooting.

The judge agreed to do so and is playing them both for the jury.

He told the jury that they may listen to the calls as many times as they wish, and he told jurors to let him know if they need the volume adjusted. Click here to watch it live.

Earlier story

Closing arguments begin Friday in the Marion County case that has grown to national attention (WFTV)

Closing arguments were delivered Friday morning in the trial of a Marion County woman accused of shooting and killing her neighbor through a closed, locked door.

Investigators said Susan Lorincz killed Ajike Owens in June 2023.

After a week of testimony, Friday is expected to be a long and intense day in the courtroom.

A Marion County judge delivered instructions to jurors at noon Friday.

The jury is now deliberating the case.

On Thursday, Lorincz decided not to take a stand and defend herself.

Read: Would you convict Susan Lorincz? Here’s what the jury is being told

Lorincz’s defense team argued she shot and killed her neighbor, Owens, last summer because she feared for her life.

The defense called two experts as witnesses.

The experts worked to reconstruct the crime scene and confirm that Lorincz was more than 10 feet away from her door when she pulled the trigger.

Read: Operation Ice Breaker: At least 20 arrested in Daytona Beach drug bust

The judge blocked a third expert witness from testimony about the Lorincz’s state of mind.

The judge believed the expert witness lacked the proper credentials to do so.

During cross-examination, the prosecutors tried to dismiss the arguments, saying Lorincz regularly practiced at a gun range and raised her gun above her eye line.

Read: Bodycam video shows deputy shoot man holding metal rod, acting erratically at gas station near I-4

While witnesses and attorneys took the stand to argue the case in the courtroom, none of the six members of the jury showed any indication that they were leaning toward a conviction or absolution.

This afternoon, the jury will have to decide if they believe Lorincz was really afraid for her life when she shot and killed Owens in 2023.

This as prosecutors spent days trying to prove the opposite, claiming the woman used her gun to bring a quick end to an ongoing neighborhood dispute.

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