Woman shot and killed after knocking on a neighbor’s door to stand up for her children

A woman was shot and killed after she went to see a neighbor to stand up for her kids.

Ajike ‘AJ’ Owens, from Florida, died on Friday (2 June) after neighbor Susan Louise Lorincz had got into an argument with her children.

According to police, Lorincz had often got angry with Ms Owens' children for playing in a nearby field.

And last week, she is said to have 'engaged in an argument' with them, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said.

At one point, it's alleged, the 58-year-old threw a skateboard at Ms Owens' son, 10, which led to the concerned mom going round to see what had happened.

After knocking on multiple times, police say, Ms Owens, a mother-of-four, was shot through the door, with a bullet hitting her chest and killing her.

Ben Crump

Lorincz claimed she was acting in self-defense 'and that Owens had been trying to break down her door prior to her discharging her firearm', police said.

She has since been charged with manslaughter with a firearm, culpable negligence, battery and two counts of assault.

The tragic incident has led to questions being raised over Florida's 'stand your ground' law.

Under the law, 'a person who is in a dwelling or residence in which the person has a right to be has no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his or her ground'.

However, there are certain stipulations, with deadly force only allowed if 'he or she reasonably believes that using or threatening to use such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the imminent commission of a forcible felony'.

After investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting, Sheriff Billy Woods said Lorincz's actions did not meet the threshold.

"It was simply a killing," he said.

Associated Press/Alamy

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the Owens family, demanded justice.

He said yesterday (6 June): “No way she should feel that this person knocking on the door would be able to cause death to her or imminent bodily harm.

“And if she did feel fear, call the police. Why shoot through a metal door?”

In a statement, Mr Crump and his team said change was needed to the law.

“While we are relieved that the woman apparently responsible for the tragic killing of Ajike ‘AJ’ Owens has been arrested, we are no less concerned that accountability has taken this long because archaic laws like Stand Your Ground exist," it read.

According to the sheriff's office, manslaughter with a firearm is punishable by up to 30 years in prison.