Following the arrest of Susan Lorincz for the shooting death of Ajike“AJ” Owens in Marion County, Florida House Democratic Caucus Leader Fentrice Driskell (D- Tampa) and Representative Yvonne Hinson (D- Gainesville) issued the following statements:
Leader Fentrice Driskell said, “I am relieved that we are taking steps toward justice with the arrest of the woman who killed Ajike “AJ” Owens.
I know the delayed arrest caused anger, distress, and heartache for a lot of us. Four children lost their mother over a neighborhood feud. Sheriff Woods said very clearly what many of us felt, that this was an absolutely unjustified killing. Sadly, this is yet another example of how Florida’s Stand Your Ground law confuses and complicates criminal investigations.
Our hearts go out to Owens’ family and loved ones in the midst of their grief. Our justice system must hold her killer accountable.
Representative Yvonne Hinson added, “This is the first of many steps towards justice, and I want to thank everyone, from Marion County and beyond, for their outpouring of support for Ms. Owens’ family. Through our pursuit of justice, we honor her life and denounce her senseless, tragic death.
I am grateful for the work done by Sheriff Bill Woods, and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, to show that this was not self-defense, but an unlawful murder of an unarmed woman.
Florida has a gun violence crisis, not just in the big cities but in smaller communities like ours, and we need to address it immediately, before the next child loses their mother to a senseless, preventable crime like the one that took Ajike “AJ” Owens from her four children.”
