OCALA, Fla. — A 6-person, all-white panel of jurors will decide if a white woman was justified in killing her Black neighbor amid an ongoing dispute in Marion County last summer.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
Deputies said Susan Lorincz shot Ajike “AJ” Owens through a locked metal door, ending a series of events that began when Lorincz hurled racial insults and objects at Owens’ kids for playing on a patch of grass outside Lorincz’s home.
Owens, alerted by her children, went to Lorincz’s house to confront her. Lorincz claimed she shot in self-defense because she was afraid Owens would break down her door, though deputies said there was no evidence Owens was trying to enter Lorincz’s home.
Read: Safety concerns in Downtown Jacksonville driving out large local business
Deputies also said they had been called to mediate disagreements between the two seven times before the shooting.
During hours of questioning Monday, Action News Jax’s sister station WFTV reported that jurors were asked about their own histories and beliefs on subjects like neighbor disputes, working with children, impartiality, the Fifth Amendment and – predominantly – guns and self-defense.
CLICK HERE for the full story by WFTV.
Read: Puerto Rico cancels classes, activates National Guard as Tropical Storm Ernesto approaches
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Sign Up
