Woman arrested in fatal shooting of Black neighbor, a mother of four, Florida sheriff says

OCALA, Fla. − In a case that has become the nation's latest flashpoint on race and gun violence, Florida authorities arrested the woman who they say shot through her front door and killed a Black mother of four after a long-running neighborhood feud.

Susan Louise Lorincz, 58, faces a charge of manslaughter with a firearm, two counts of assault and other charges in the death of 35-year-old Ajike "AJ" Shantrell Owens, according to the Marion County Sheriff's Office.

The case put intense new focus on Florida's "stand your ground" law. On Monday, before the arrest, Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said the fatal shooting had happened after a 2½-year dispute. At the time, he did not identify the suspect, saying Florida law restricted his office from making an arrest before being sure a shooter had no alternative to the use of deadly force.

The case rocketed into national headlines, and protesters marched in Ocala on Tuesday afternoon, calling on State Attorney Bill Gladson to file charges and demanding justice for Owens.

Authorities announced the arrest of Lorincz, who is white, just before midnight.

Lorincz was interviewed by detectives Tuesday evening before being taken into custody. Woods, the sheriff, said Lorincz claimed she shot in self-defense because Owens was trying to break down her door during a dispute involving Owen's children. She claimed Owens had attacked her in the past.

The sheriff's office said its investigation – including obtaining the statements of eyewitnesses – determined the shooting was not justifiable.

“Ms. Lorincz’s fate is now in the hands of the judicial system, which I trust will deliver justice in due course," Woods said in a statement late Tuesday. "As I go to bed tonight, I will be saying a prayer for Ms. Owens’ children and the rest of her family. I’d ask all of you to do the same.”

In Florida: Protesters demand justice for Ocala mom who was shot, killed in front of her kids

Case sparks protests, 'stand your ground' criticism

In a sign of the case's national profile, civil rights attorney Ben Crump – who represented Trayvon Martin’s family in 2012, when the Black teenager was killed in a Florida shooting that highlighted the existence of the "stand your ground" law – took up representation of Owens' family.

Shortly after Lorincz's arrest, Crump and personal injury attorney Anthony D. Thomas called for the eradication of "laws like Stand Your Ground that only contribute to the lawlessness of our country and the disproportionate maiming and killing of people of color."

"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," their statement said.

Neighbor accused of using racial slurs before shooting

The women lived in the rolling hills south of Ocala, a north Florida city that is the heart of the state’s horse country. Owens's children, who ranged in age from 3 to 12, were playing in a field near the house when the incident began.

They said a woman used racial slurs and ordered them off the property. The sheriff’s office hasn’t confirmed there were slurs uttered or said whether race was a factor in the shooting.

The children left but forgot an iPad, which was taken by the suspect, according to a statement from family attorneys. Attorneys initially said the suspect threw the iPad at the children. Woods said Monday the shooter threw a pair of skates in the direction of the kids and hit them, but was unclear if it was intentional. Deputies were told Lorincz opened her door and swung at them with an umbrella, the sheriff's office said.

One of the children went home to tell their mother about the incident. She then walked over to the neighbor's house and knocked on the door to address the issue. Deputies say Owens demanded Lorincz come outside.

The sheriff's office said Lorincz then shot Owens through her door, striking her in the shoulder in front of her 9-year-old son. She died at a nearby hospital that day.

A GoFundMe campaign has been set up for the Owens family and as of late Tuesday night, raised more than $110,000.

Contributing: The Associated Press.