Susan Lorincz Trial Day 1: Neighbors, deputies, investigators recall night of shooting

MARION COUNTY, Fla. - The manslaughter trial for Susan Lorincz, the woman accused of shooting her neighbor, mother of four Ajike "AJ" Owens, through her front door, officially began Tuesday. 

A jury of six, plus two alternates, was selected and sworn in on Monday. 

Lorincz, who has remained in custody in Marion County on one charge of manslaughter with a firearm, was arrested on June 2, 2023, after fatally shooting Owens after a confrontation. 

Owens went to Lorincz's home to speak to her about a dispute with her children, and at some point, Lorincz allegedly fired a shot through the front door, which hit and killed Owens. 

Racial slurs, 911 call in focus during Susan Lorincz’s final hearing before AJ Owens manslaughter trial

Lorincz's defense team maintains that she shot Owens in self-defense.  

The jury in this trial will decide whether Lorincz, who recently turned 59 years old, will be sent to prison – possibly until she's 90. 

Summary of prosecution's opening statement 

The prosecution outlined the events leading up to the shooting, focusing on a summer night in 2023 when neighborhood children were playing near Lorincz’s house.

Newly revealed video footage shows Lorincz filming the children as they played in a nearby field, where some roller skates had been left behind. Lorincz allegedly threw a roller skate at the children, telling them to "Go fetch," and then waved an umbrella at them. When the children threatened to tell their mother, Lorincz reportedly responded, "Go tell your mom, I don't care!"

Around 9 p.m., Lorincz called 911, complaining about the children trespassing and leaving toys behind. She claimed the children had threatened to beat her up and kill her. The dispatcher assured her that a unit would be sent, and Lorincz said she was inside her house with the doors locked.

According to multiple witnesses, Owens, angry but unarmed, approached Lorincz's door, banging on it, yelling, and cursing. However, according to witness testimony, she was not attempting to break in. Police were already on their way, and there was a 150-second gap between Lorincz's 911 call and the moment she shot Owens.

The prosecution described how Lorincz, who was in the bathroom when she heard the banging, left to investigate. Upon recognizing Owens at the door, she walked to the kitchen, then to the bedroom, before returning and firing a shot. Lorincz admitted to firing her .380 pistol through a closed, locked door, hitting Owens. Detectives later found a shell casing inside the apartment and the gun in a trash can.

The central question, according to the prosecution, is whether Lorincz was justified in shooting. They argue that Lorincz's earlier interactions with the children, including telling them to get their mother, imply she was not in fear for her life.

The prosecution also highlighted previous incidents involving Lorincz and Owens. Sixteen months prior, Lorincz claimed Owens had attacked her with a "No Trespassing" sign, but no arrest was made. Lorincz had also called 911 six months earlier, alleging that Owens had threatened her, but again, no arrests were made. In her post-shooting interview, Lorincz did not mention feeling scared during those earlier encounters, prosecutors said.

Summary of defense team's opening statement 

The defense team portrayed Lorincz as a woman who acted in self-defense out of fear for her life. Her attorneys described Lorincz as a nearly 59-year-old woman with significant health issues, living alone in an 800-square-foot apartment.

Lorincz's lawyers provided a brief overview of her life, saying that she grew up in New Jersey, where she worked as a waitress and home health care provider. In her 30s, she moved to Springhill, Florida, to be with her parents, working as a chef. After her mother's death, Lorincz relocated to Ocala in 2005, drawn by her love of horses, and continued working as a chef until the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the pandemic, she retrained as an insurance agent, working full-time from home.

At the time of the shooting, Lorincz suffered from various medical conditions, including knee issues that required multiple surgeries, leg and foot problems from spinal surgery following a car accident, and a past aneurysm, and she was a cancer survivor in remission. In contrast, Owens was described as taller, 80 pounds heavier, and 24 years younger than Lorincz.

The defense emphasized the intensity of the confrontation on the night of the shooting. According to them, Owens pounded on Lorincz’s door "violently for minutes." Lorincz, fearing for her life, shot through the door in self-defense, believing that Owens was going to break it down and "pulverize" her. During a 911 call made by Lorincz, she was heard saying, "The woman was screaming and yelling, and she was trying to break down my door… I didn’t know what to do, I grabbed my gun and I shot at the door." The defense pointed out that Lorincz's voice quivered with terror during the call.

Lorincz's attorneys detailed prior encounters between her and Owens. They said the two first met shortly after one of Lorincz’s surgeries, during an incident where Lorincz asked Owens to respect her no-trespassing signs and to stop allowing her dog to defecate on Lorincz’s property. Owens allegedly responded by throwing the sign at Lorincz. Six months before the shooting, another confrontation occurred when one of Owens' children trespassed again. According to the defense, Owens banged on Lorincz's door, yelling for her to come out and threatening to beat her, causing damage to the door frame. Following this, Lorincz purchased a gun, added a chain to better secure the door, and began using a chair to reinforce the door at night.

On the day of the shooting, Lorincz was preparing for a new job she had just secured. She initially went outside, thinking it was raining, but saw children playing and became concerned she might trip on the roller skates they had left out. They refused when she asked the children to retrieve the skates, so she threw them into the yard. The children began yelling, prompting Lorincz to run back inside. Owens then approached Lorincz’s door "with purpose" and "mad as hell."

The defense argued that Lorincz felt trapped inside her apartment with nowhere to go, quoting Owens as allegedly shouting, "You can’t talk to my children that way. I’m going to f***ing kill you. Get out!" A neighbor who shares a wall with Lorincz testified that she was also scared, saying Owens' pounding caused the wall to shake. Another neighbor, living about 100 yards away, reported hearing the pounding, describing it as sounding "like someone is trying to break through a door" for what felt like forever.

The defense intends to call an educational psychologist specializing in the use of force and decision-making under stress to testify about how people respond in situations like the one Lorincz faced.

"The death of AJ Owens is a tragedy; there’s no doubt about that," the defense stated. "But what the evidence will show is that in her mind, in her soul, in her core, Susan Lorincz felt she had no choice but to fire through that door. It was either Susan or AJ, and Susan chose to defend herself."

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Susan Lorincz trial: Day 1 updates

Notable names:

• Prosecution team: Assistant State Attorneys Adam Smith and Rich Buxman
• Defense team: Public defenders Morris Carranza and Amanda Sizemore

4 p.m.: Court adjourns for the day

3:36 p.m.: Landlord testifies in court

Charles Gabbard, the landlord of the property where Lorincz and Owens live, testified in court on Tuesday afternoon. 

The landlord said Lorincz came to him to ask to "control the children," referring to Owens' children. He said he didn't have the ability to do that but could put up "no trespassing" signs on the property line. 

The sign was put up about two or three months before the shooting. 

He also testified about cosmetic damage to Lorincz's front door and about the repair process. 

2:50 p.m.: Crime scene investigator testifies in court

Catherine Medina, a crime scene investigator, responded to the residence on the night of the shooting. While Paxton reviewed the outside of Lorincz's home, Medina was inside taking photographs, which were shown in court. 

A "no trespassing" sign was placed on Lorincz's sliding glass door and no damage was discovered. A camera was attached to the inside of the door. It was "somebody else's job" to determine what was on the camera, not Medina. 

Medina did find a suspected bullet hole on the front door of Lorincz's unit, she said. The center of the hole was just over four feet from the ground. The inside of the door also had a bullet hole, which was what appeared to be an exit hole. 

Another crime scene photograph from Lorincz's living room shows the trajectory of the bullet. 

"That shows that the bullet came from the inside of the house," Medina said. 

The spent cartridge casing was found in the kitchen area. 

Two firearms, one of which was loaded, were found in a trash can in Lorincz's bedroom, Medina added. 

After reviewing photographic evidence and the firearms in the courtroom, Carranza cross-examined Medina, clarifying that she's not an expert in trajectory analysis or ballistics. 

2:45 p.m.: Court back in session

2:30 p.m.: Jury takes break

2:12 p.m.: Forensic DNA technician testifies in court

Taylor Paxton, a forensic DNA technician and crime scene investigator for the Marion County Sheriff's Office, testified in court on Tuesday afternoon. 

She responded to the scene after the shooting on June 2, 2023. She reviewed evidence collected from outside Lorincz's home, including two roller skates and a "no trespassing" sign. 

She was asked about the process of collecting evidence and taking photos of a crime scene. 

2:05 p.m.: Marion County Sheriff's Office deputy testifies in court

Deputy Ashton Welfenberg with the Marion County Sheriff's Office testified in court on Tuesday afternoon. 

She received a call for service to Lorincz and Owens' neighborhood after 9 p.m. in reference to the shooting. 

"When I arrived, I saw Deputy Stringer. He was escorting an elderly female, the defendant, away from the residence. There was a group of people near a tree, and at their feet was the victim, Ms. Owens," Welfenberg said about what she had seen when she arrived. "There was another young deputy there, Deputy Barbosa, who was there trying to render Ms. Owens aid."

She then explained Owens' injuries. 

"Ms. Owens was bleeding from her mouth at the time I evaluated her. She did have a faint pulse. She had an injury to her upper right torso that was consistent with a gunshot wound. When I cut her clothing away, I didn't see any exit wound," the deputy said. 

Owens was unarmed and unresponsive the entire time Deputy Welfenberg attended to her, she said. 

Welfenberg was the deputy who transported Lorincz to the Marion County Sheriff's Office after she was placed in her patrol car. 

"She seemed to be indifferent," the deputy said about Lorincz's demeanor.

1:55 p.m.: Marion County Sheriff's Office deputy testifies in court

Deputy Aaron Barbosa, a then-trainee who was with Deputy Stringer when they responded to the neighborhood on the night of the shooting, testified in court on Tuesday afternoon. 

"I saw the victim laying on the ground, and several people were stating that she got shot," Barbosa said about what he observed when arriving at the scene. 

Video footage from Barbosa's body-worn camera was shown in court. It shows the aftermath of the shooting when deputies arrived in the neighborhood. 

1:43 p.m.: Marion County Sheriff's Office deputy testifies in court

Michael Stringer, a patrol deputy with the Marion County Sheriff's Office, testified in court on Tuesday afternoon. 

On the night of the shooting, Stringer was dispatched to Lorincz's neighborhood in reference to the trespassing call. While on the way, they were notified that a shooting was reported at that location. 

"When I arrived on scene, I observed the victim to be laying in the field with multiple people standing around," Stringer said. "It was complete chaos."

Stringer said he then went to Lorincz's apartment to detain her before they could attend to Owens. 

"I gave commands for the suspect to exit the home with her hands up and ensured she did not have the weapon on her. I then placed her in handcuffs and escorted her to my vehicle so she could be secured," Stringer said, adding that Lorincz told him that her gun was on her bedside table. 

More deputies arrived on the scene, and Owens was transported to a hospital, where she was later pronounced dead. 

1:32 p.m.: 911 operator testifies in court

A 911 operator with the Marion County Sheriff's Office testified in court about a call received by the 911 center regarding a shooting just after 9 p.m. on June 2, 2023. 

The 911 call, which was placed after the shooting, was played in court, and a transcription was given to jurors to follow along. 

Lorincz told the 911 operator that a woman was "trying to break down" her door, and she shot her. 

"I didn't know what to do. I grabbed my gun, and I shot at the door," Lorincz said on the call while apparently crying. 

Lorincz said she didn't open her door. 

"She's come after me several times because of her children. Her children keep trespassing over here; they're bothering and bothering me. They won't f****** stop," Lorincz continued on the 911 call. 

Deputies were dispatched to the apartment complex. 

FOX 35 is working to confirm the 911 operator's name. 

1:17 p.m.: 911 operator testifies in court

Troy Gann, a 911 operator, testified in court on Tuesday afternoon. 

Gann said on the night of the shooting, he received a 911 call from Lorincz at around 9 p.m. 

Transcripts of the 911 call were provided to the jurors as they played the audio in court. In the call, Lorincz complained about Owens' children "badgering her" and trespassing onto her property. 

It should be noted that this 911 call came minutes before the shooting. 

1:09 p.m.: Marion County Sheriff's Office deputy testifies in court

Shelby Kinsey, a patrol deputy with the Marion County Sheriff's Office, testified about a call for service regarding a verbal altercation she responded to in December 2022. 

On that day, Kinsey spoke with Lorincz, who said a woman, later identified as Owens, came to her door and threatened "to drag her out and beat her" if she approached her children again. 

Sizemore cross-examined the deputy, giving more details about the call for service that day. Lorincz and Owens went back and forth after Owens reportedly made threatening remarks towards her. 

No arrests were made during that call for service. 

1:00 p.m.: Marion County Sheriff's Office deputy testifies in court

Jonathan Coleman, a deputy with the Marion County Sheriff's Office, testified in court on Tuesday morning. 

The prosecutor brought up an incident from February 2022 that Coleman responded to in reference to a battery. The deputy spoke with Lorincz, who said she was battered by her neighbor when she was hit with a "no trespassing" sign. 

The deputy said he didn't see any markings on Lorincz's body that appeared to be injuries related to this incident. 

Coleman said he also spoke with Owens that day before concluding the investigation. No arrests were made that day. 

The defense lawyer cross-examined Coleman, asking more questions about the dispute the women had over the "no trespassing" sign. Owens reportedly told Lorincz that she couldn't have a sign to that effect since she was only renting the property. 

The deputy also clarified that he saw a marking on Lorincz's leg but couldn't recall what it was due to her skin pigment. It wasn't confirmed that it was an injury. 

12:50 p.m.: 12-year-old neighbor testifies in court

A 12-year-old girl named Londyn testified in court on Tuesday afternoon. She lives next to the Owens family in the neighborhood in Ocala. 

She said she was inside her home with her best friend at the time of the shooting. 

"It was like a boom," Londyn said about the noise that she later learned was a gunshot, adding that she saw Owens on the ground after the shooting. 

She was also asked about a prior incident between Lorincz and Owens involving a "no trespassing" sign in their neighborhood. She said she saw the two women arguing before Owens picked up the sign and tossed it toward Lorincz. 

12:45 p.m. Court resumes

Court is back in session. 

11:47 a.m.: Court takes a lunch break

The court took a lunch break just before noon.  

11:33 a.m.: Lorincz's next-door neighbor testifies in court

Yvonne Costa, a woman who lived in the same neighborhood as Lorincz and Owens at the time of the shooting, testified in court on Tuesday morning. 

Costa, who said she spoke with Lorincz in passing on about 10 occasions and Owens on about three occasions, shared a common wall with Lorincz's apartment unit. She said she knew Owens' eldest son, Issac, "very well." 

Costa was inside her apartment at the time of the shooting and said she heard arguing coming from outside. 

"My wall in between our two apartments started shaking, like pounding on the wall. It really scared me," Costa said about a door being slammed during the argument. 

"After that banging, did you hear another sound?" the prosecutor asked her. 

"I heard a pop," Costa replied. 

"And what did you hear after that pop?" the prosecutor said. 

"People screaming," she said, adding that she called 911 shortly after. 

Sizemore cross-examined the witness, confirming that the arguing outside was "aggressive" and "guttural" at a loud volume. 

11:15 a.m.: Neighbor testifies in court

The state spoke with a 22-year-old man who was living in the Ocala neighborhood where the fatal shooting took place.

While on the stand, he testified that he was at home when the shooting occurred and was informed by his little brother about what happened. 

He told the court that he heard knocking and a few words from Lorincz's home. He recalled hearing Owens knock "a little bit louder" on Lorincz's front door and say, "come outside." However, he denied hearing Owens use the "B-word" or say, "I'm going to kill you," as the defense suggested.

On multiple occasions, the defense asked him to review his original deposition statements made to law enforcement following the shooting. 

FOX 35 is working to confirm this witness' name. 

10:51 a.m.: 13-year-old neighbor who saw shooting testifies in court

A 13-year-old boy named Uriel, who used to live in the same neighborhood as Owens and Lorincz, testified in court on Tuesday morning. He's the son of Franklin Baez-Colon, who testified earlier. He was 12 years old at the time of the shooting. 

He testified that he would sometimes play outside with Owens' sons. 

On the day of the shooting, the boy said he was in the neighborhood and was playing around with other kids in the neighborhood in a field. Later that day, the 13-year-old said he was next to his house when he saw Owens walk up to Lorincz's house. 

"She looked mad … she was cursing … I remember her banging in the door … she was banging in a mad type of bang, banging pretty hard," he said. 

Uriel said he remembers her saying, "Open up this door … She was saying the B-word and the f-word." He said he didn't see Owens reach for the door handle and did not hear Owens threaten Lorincz. 

"After she was banging on the door, I remember hearing a gunshot. … I saw Isaac's mom run and yelling, ‘Call 911,'" Uriel said, adding that he ran to his dad. 

Public defender Carranza cross-examined Uriel and had him clarify a few things he heard Owens tell Lorincz in the moments leading up to the shooting. 

"Do you remember Ms. Susan telling AJ to ‘get out of my house now?’ Carranza asked. Uriel said he did. 

Smith redirected and asked Uriel if he remembered Owens holding anything in her hands when she approached Lorincz's front door leading up to the shooting. The boy said no. 

10:40 a.m.: Marion County property appraiser testifies in court

The state called its next witness, Jimmy Cowan Jr., who was reelected as Marion County Property Appraiser in 2021. 

He was shown a parcel map of a neighborhood in Ocala, presumably that of Lorincz and Owens, and the property boundaries. 

Public defender Amanda Sizemore cross-examined the witness and asked about the grassy areas within the red line and whose property they would fall under. 

10:23 a.m.: Neighbor testifies in court

Assistant State Attorney Rich Buxman called the prosecution's first witness, Franklin Baez-Colon, a man who was neighbors with both Lorincz and Owens in a neighborhood in Ocala.  

He said he'd interacted with Lorincz and Owens a few times, but he didn't have a close relationship with either of them. Baez-Colon answered questions about the layout of the neighborhood. 

Baez-Colon, who has a law enforcement and military background, arrived on the scene after the shooting to help Owens and render aid before first responders arrived and took over. 

"I immediately kept an eye on Ms. Susan's apartment, just in case, you never know … I started scanning (Owens) for open wounds, 'cause I heard she got shot, so I was just scanning for open wounds to try to help her out," he said. 

During a cross-examination, the defense asked Baez-Colon whether the "firecracker" noise he heard – which was later found to have been a gunshot – happened while it was dark outside. 

9:37 a.m.: Defense makes opening statement

Public defender Morris Carranza made the defense team's opening statement on Tuesday morning. 

Carranza shared insight into Lorincz's life before moving to Ocala, including how she is a cancer survivor and other health issues she's had to face. 

The defense is arguing that Lorincz shot Owens in self-defense. 

"The death of AJ Owens is a tragedy, there’s no doubt about that. But what the evidence will show is that in her mind, in her soul, in her core, Susan Lorincz felt she had no choice but to fire through that door. It was either Susan or AJ and Susan chose to defend herself," Carranza said. 

9:16 a.m.: Prosecutor makes opening statement

Assistant State Attorney Adam Smith made the prosecution's opening statement on Tuesday morning. 

The 20-minute statement set the scene of the day of the incident, June 2, 2023, and also went into detail about Lorincz's relationship and previous interactions with Owens and her children in their neighborhood in Ocala. 

Smith also alluded to some of the evidence the state will present during the trial, including 911 calls, law enforcement interviews and witness testimony. 

9 a.m.: Trial begins; judge reminds jurors of rules

The trial started at around 9 a.m. on Tuesday. Judge Robert Hodges reminded jurors that they are not allowed to communicate with anyone about the trial, including their spouse, friends, family members or fellow jurors. Jurors were also instructed to stay off social media for the duration of the trial. 

Any juror who violates these rules may be held in contempt of court.