Family of mother of 4 fatally shot by neighbor calls for maximum sentence

The family of Ajike “AJ” Owens, a Black mother of four who was shot and killed by her neighbor during an ongoing dispute over children playing near the neighbor’s home, says the 60-year-old white woman deserves “the maximum penalty under the law,” according to a statement.

The family of Ajike “AJ” Owens, a Black mother of four who was shot and killed by her neighbor during an ongoing dispute over children playing near the neighbor’s home, says the 60-year-old White woman deserves “the maximum penalty under the law,” according to a statement. The neighbor, Susan Lorincz, is scheduled to be sentenced Monday afternoon in a Florida courtroom, according to court records. “The jury’s guilty verdict of manslaughter with a weapon was an important step, but we now look to the court to follow that decision with the maximum penalty under the law,” said the statement obtained by CNN affiliate WCJB. Lorincz faces up to 30 years in prison, according to State Attorney Bill Gladson’s office. In August, a jury found Lorincz guilty of manslaughter for shooting through the front door of her central Florida apartment on June 2, 2023 and killing Owens, 35, who had been knocking on Lorincz’s door. Amanda Sizemore, a public defender representing Lorincz, had no comment ahead of the sentencing when contacted by CNN.