OCALA, Fla. — After deliberating for only a few hours Friday, a Marion County jury found Ocala resident Susan Lorincz guilty of manslaughter in the 2023 shooting death of her neighbor, Ajike “Aj” Owens.

Lorincz was accused of fatally shooting Owens on June 2, 2023, through her front door after an altercation with Owens over her kids. 

While defense attorneys say Lorincz acted in self-defense, prosecutors argued there is no evidence to prove that Lorincz’s life was in danger.

During closing arguments Friday, defense attorneys said Lorincz had a right to stand her ground if she believed it was necessary to prevent imminent death. However, prosecutors claimed that there was no imminent danger because Owens had not broken down Lorincz's locked door. They also said there was no evidence to suggest that Owens intended to enter Lorincz’s home.

Prosecutors also highlighted past issues and conflicts between Lorincz and Owens.

In an interrogation video released by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office last year, Lorincz told detectives that she had problems with several children in the neighborhood being disrespectful to her, including Owens’ children, who were ages 12, 9, 7 and 3 at that time.

During court earlier this week, both the prosecution and the defense disclosed that Lorincz and Owens had previous encounters with law enforcement. However, no one was ever arrested and the encounters never became physical.

Officials said there was only one time where Owens tossed one of Lorincz’s three "no trespassing signs" at her.

According to an arrest report, Lorincz claimed she had a headache on the day of the shooting, and several children had been running and screaming near her apartment.

Later that night, while several of the children continued playing, the report stated Lorincz threw a pair of roller skates, hitting one of Owens’ kids. That’s when authorities said Owens came to Lorincz home and began banging on the door.

That’s when Lorincz fired a single-shot from her “Remington 380,” according to an affidavit, killing Owens.

While the defense claimed Lorincz acted in self-defense and that Owens said she was going to kill the woman, no witnesses reported hearing Owens threaten Lorincz’s life.

“This case is about perception. The constitution of our country embodies the right to defend ourselves,” said defense attorney Amanda Sizemore.

However, prosecutors continued to back up the fact that Owens was unarmed and there was no evidence to prove that Lorincz’s life was in imminent danger.

“Ms. Owens, before she was shot, had no ability whatsoever to get into the house. Was it reasonable to shoot through a closed, locked, dead-bolted door? That’s the ultimate question. The law should guide the entire argument in this case,” prosecutor Rich Buxman said Friday.

Prosecutors maintained that the evidence proves that Lorincz acted in “reckless disregard for human life.”

When sentenced, Lorincz could face up to 30 years in prison.

Friday's verdict brough some relief to Owens' family.

The family's attorney said the loss of Owens has been "very hard" for her children.

“My heart goes out to families who have lost loved ones to violence, and to those who have not found justice as we did. Again, I thank you," said Owens' mother, Pamela Dias. "Please continue to keep the family, and especially Ajike’s four children, in your prayers." 

Owens' family believes Lorincz should get the maximum penalty.