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Ugh. You said you were over him, but his hoodie's still in your rotation. It's time. Grab your phone, snap a few pics and sell it on depop. Listed in minutes with no selling fees. And just like that, a guy 500 miles away just paid full price for your closure. And right on cue. Hey. Still got my hoodie? Nope. But I've got tonight's dinner paid for. Start selling on depop. Where taste recognizes taste list. Now with no selling fees, payment processing fees and boosting fees still apply. See website for details. Why is she recording us? It's like, I've never dealt with people like this in my life. And I'm like, oh my God, these people are hooligans. About an hour later, 911 for the emergency. Oh my God. This lady just tried to break down my door. I shot through the door. Okay, what is your name? Ruben Warren. I didn't know what to do. I grabbed my gun and I saw it at the door. Did you know her? She's come after me several times because of her children. Her children keep trespassing over here. They're bothering me and bothering me. They won't stop. Somebody outside. Okay, just stay on the phone with me. Thanks for that. Right here, right here, right here. Who has the gun? Zone one, Marion Primary. Oh, my God. Everybody go. I need everybody back in the street. In the street. Everybody off the property. Onto the roadway. There is still someone with a gun. He's inside. Where? That apartment. I'm in front. I'm in front. Terrace office. Go outside with your hands up. This neighborhood is called Quail Run. It's very small, it's just these two streets. Very family friendly, lots of kids. It's somebody's puppy. Go. Go back. Don't follow us. That's a new puppy. So after school, you know, homework, kids change out of their clothes, they come out here, they play, go in for dinner, come back out and play until it's time for bed. Almost every day we get a knock on our door saying, can you play? Can you play? You can come hoop with us. We would take walks, run around, and we used to play football. We did a lot of stuff, normal kid things. You see the children outside playing, enjoying themselves, just being carefree. We were a close knit neighborhood. Moms knew each other because all the kids were at the bus stop together at six, you know, something in the morning. So we all knew who child belonged to who. All the children would come over to my house because my house was directly across from the field. So you know, we were. That's a family neighborhood. The vibe in this close little community shifts after Susan Lorenz, a new neighbor, moves in. Susan Lawrence was involved in her church. She sang in the choir. She worked from home. She had two cats. She was somebody who probably just wanted to be left alone. This is my apartment here. When they're all here in the front, it's really. We can hear. It's loud, it's noisy. Kids around? They're kids, yeah. She just did not enjoy having kids around. Noise, proximity, just them being in her space. There's a trespassing sign. I've told them, please don't come here. I'm working. Get some care. She always wanted to argue with the kids, but she never wanted to talk to none of us adults, none of us. But it was like an ongoing situation. It seemed like Susan's main beef was with the children of the woman across the street, Ajika Owens. By all accounts, to the neighbors, she was the ideal mom. She had four children. Four beautiful, highly intelligent, very well loved children. Ashika was very strong willed. She had a mind of her own always, but in a good way. And I think that kind of transcended down to her children as well. She was a manager for McDonald's for many years, and she was also being groomed to be a gm. And at what point were you aware that she had a neighbor whom she found difficult? So she would tell me that there was a neighbor that was just basically harassing the children. My daughter told me that Susan had called the police. Put your cloth on. I called because the lady across the street on the phone hit me with a sign. Her children were walking their dog on the property. Clearly says no trespassing. And then she just got in my face and shook up the sign and threw at me and hit me off. There was a run in between the two. Susan claims that AJ went over to Susan's house, picked up a no trespassing sign and threw it at Susan. Do you know of her? No. I know her children are always over here, always screaming, yelling, playing games to him. And I've asked them, please. I work from home, you know, I sell insurance. Very quiet. I don't bother anyone. So I don't understand the attitude. There was an initial confrontation dating back to February of 2022. She shouldn't have removed the sign either. It was the landlord sign. One thing about Ajica is she doesn't play about her kids. So I knew that she would nip it in the bud. Every time I see that smirk on your face. You say you already know. Does she call the police on you? Yeah, my daughter, she was actually keeping the peace because she was never the initiator. She did nothing wrong. She can't tell them technically, if they're not in your personal, personal space, that they can't walk the dog or even throw their football over them. This was a case that boiled into something that I don't think anybody thought it would. Susan was like, do you see this sign? This is a no trespassing sign. Don't come over here. Get your ass off my property. So I kept saying, step back, step back, step back. 2020 is partnering with Vibes open ear wireless headphones. That's Vybz. If you listen to a lot of true crime, you probably like to listen with a good pair of headphones, but it can be tricky to find a pair that provides great sound quality. 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Just go to abcsecretsavings.com 2020Again, that's abcsecretsavings.Com 2020 abcsecretsavings.COM 2020 this show is sponsored by Bombus. It's finally spring and if you're like a lot of people, you may be ready to get moving again with more outdoor activities that just let you enjoy spring weather. If that sounds like you, well do yourself a favor and bring a pair of Bombas sports socks along for the ride. Bombas sport socks are ultra comfortable. They're designed with sport specific tech for running, cycling, yoga, hiking, or whatever activity you may want to enjoy this spring. They're cushioned right where you need it and they don't slide down when you move so you can focus on your performance and not whether your socks can keep up. And don't forget some base layer clothing to go with them. Bombas T shirts are the most breathable and flexible shirts you'll ever own. Plus, for every item you purchase, an essential clothing item is donated to somebody facing housing security. That's one purchased, one donated. With over 150 million donations and counting. Head over to bombus.com 20 and use code 20T W E N T Y for 20% off your first purchase. That's B O M B A S.com 20 and the code Twent Y at checkout. Whoa. Neighbor disputes in Marion county are pretty common, and frequently it is a situation where we're responding to that same location over and over again. I said, your kids are trespassing. And then she got real loud, and I said, you need to take a step back. This field here is between where Susan used to live, and just across the way is where AJ Used to live. Before Susan did move here, our kids were already playing in this field. There was never a problem from anybody that's ever lived out here. Susan believed that a portion of the field belonged to her, and she had the right to peace and quiet. I moved in first. AJ Moved in maybe about a month after me, and then two, three months later, Susan moved in. First of all, before she moved there, this big open space right here, all the kids, they like to play kickball, football in a space. She moves in. I don't want y' all playing over here. Private property, so they don't play there. The kids would play over there, and her apartment is over here. And she would literally antagonize these kids for no reason. She would come outside, move her truck from the other side all the way to this part right here by the tree, and just lay on her horn for, like, 10 minutes at a time just to aggravate the kids. You had one neighbor who didn't really like all the noise and all the fun. Yes, ma'. Am. What kinds of complaints did she make? She would come out sticking up the middle finger. I can't take the dog out. The other day, she tells the kid, tells my son, I'm gonna have you arrested and you're going to jail. He's 8, so he's terrified. One time, I was walking my dog, and he would always get loose somehow off the leash. He ran across the yard. I ran after him. She saw me, and she, like. She had this, like, party horn. She honked it. I Got so scared. Were you in her yard? No, ma'. Am. We would play in the field, and we made sure we didn't go in her yard. And so I go over there to the baby. This is my private property. They can't have the dog over here. I told them, first of all, he's not on your property. He's on this side. You don't own it. I will say that that lady is always messing with people's kids. She's always. Yeah, she's always trying to record the kids and always talking crap. But I didn't see anything, so I can't say anything. Okay. It was like every other day she was coming out, bothering the kids, calling the cops. It was every other day the picture was painted. That Susan was a problem in the neighborhood revolving around how she treated her neighbors, specifically children who played in the area. Your children are trespassing. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. They're trespassing. There's a trespassing sign. I've told them, please don't come here. I'm working. I get some care. She went and bought a little private property sign, and she stuck it in the yard, so she had to sign it. She's basically, like, ramming a sign in my face. So then when she went to pick it back up, I picked the sign up and I threw the sign. I literally picked the sign up, and as I walked off, I threw the sign. I said, and I could go and buy a sign too, as well. Still doesn't mean anything at that point. I guess she's already on the phone and she, oh, I'm being attacked. Someone's attacking me. I'm literally in the street now proceeding to. Everybody's coming. Where this happening? Right over here behind the mailbox. Okay. The deputies are forced to be in the middle of this neighborhood dispute over whether or not children should be allowed to play in their neighborhood. They're caught between Audica Owens and Susan Lorenz. How's it going? See it? It's another day. All right, well, just call me. Hey, ma'. Am. Yeah. Did you see anything? Yeah, she didn't touch that lady. She just took the thing out the ground and that was it. What thing? The thing. The no trespassing thing. She didn't touch. Susan was like, do you see this sign? This is a no trespassing sign. Don't come over here. Get your ass off my. Get your ass off my property. And all she did was tell the lady to stop yelling at her kids. That lady yells at Everybody's kids out here. Okay. Well, I mean, I wouldn't go over there anymore. Okay. So since she has a no trespass. So unfortunately, that means I'm 10, 8 by 10 head. Can't go over there. That's fine. I mean, if it's hers, it's hers, but, I mean, did your daughter AJ Ever talk about what Susan was calling the police. She was complaining about the children just playing that in the field. Hello? Hi, is this Ms. Susan? Yes. Okay. Do you want to come outside and talk to me? Sure. Okay. When I responded to Ms. Susan's house on that day, her initial complaint was just that she was working on a paper and she had a headache. The neighborhood kids were playing in the lot next to her apartment, and they were being loud. And I don't want the kids running back and forth here screaming and yelling when I'm trying to concentrate. We typically don't get calls about children playing. Well, if those people aren't complaining, I can't kick them off that property. Before I even made contact with her, I was already frustrated. There wasn't a reason for us to be out there for something that seemed so silly at the time. Well, like I said, unless they're on your property, then it's. It's not really an issue. Yeah, but those kids, you know, they shouldn't be screaming and, you know, running around either. I'd rather kids be screaming because they're out here playing and have a good time. Thank you. Stealing cars and robbing people. So if they're out here having a good time, they're having a good time. Ms. Susan was very frustrated with me. She was not happy with my answer. Why can't they play on? I don't know. I'm not them. I'm not their parent. Like I said, it's a big open lot. It's probably just. No, it's too nicer for them. I don't know what all you can actually hear on my body can't. I don't know how muffled it was. As I was walking away, she used some very choice words to call me. I can see how you are loose. All right, well, you have a good night. And so I looked at my partner and simultaneously was trying to turn my camera off. You off? Yeah. What the. I just didn't get my camera off in time. After being called to that neighborhood time and time again, deputies probably were like, here we go again. And the fact that there were no arrests irked Susan. I'm with Sam. Susan went out and bought two guns One day we were playing in the yard, and she had showed. It looked like a rifle out the window. Incredibly, Susan's anger toward these kids soon becomes downright hateful. She called us a N word. You already hurt yourself is your body cam. You okay? Of course. See the little blinking red light? I already did hurt myself. Body cams are great for us because they show, matter of fact, what happened. There is no. Well, I may have perceived it this way or that way. No, you see for certain exactly how it happened. Number three, I think 102 is on that side. This is my body cam. You've got your camera, and then this is like your main button to start and stop it. And then up here, there's a screen. When it's on, it'll flash red. Sheriff's office. Hi. What's going on this evening? Lots of children screaming their full heads off, running around. They know they're not supposed to be over here. They've been told a million times. As we started to learn more about the ongoing issues in that neighborhood, we're seeing a pattern here of issues between these two neighbors, Susan Lorenz and Ajica Owens. His mother comes over here. If you treat my son like that again, I'm gonna rip your ass out and go beat you up. Excuse me. I don't bloody won't think so. And I said, see that no trespassing sign? Get off my porch. And, no, I'm not gonna. I said, yeah, I'm calling the chef's Carter and go talk to these kids. I'm Deputy Heckman. I just need to know whose mom it was. It was a boy. You went over there. That's Ajica there in the darkness. My kids were out here playing with them. And my oldest son, he called me on the cell phone. He's like, mom, she's out here, and she's in our face, and she's yelling, and I can hear her. The deputies are caught in the middle because they're the mediator between these two neighbors who have this dispute about something so minute, something so silly. Kids just being kids. That's not the use of law enforcement. There's no serious crime happening here. It is almost every single day. So, like, at the end of the day, somebody has to be the one to try to meet you halfway. Sure. That's what I was trying to do. And I was like, I just want to know what happened with him. He is disrespectful and he is rude, and I am a doctor, and he has no reason to talking, like, so clear Were you the guys that. That this lady was mad about? Yes. And I just want to say that every time, like, even if we're not. Hold on, hold on. Let's bring it down. Okay? I'm sorry. You're okay. Every time, even if we're not on our property and we're just like, like being loud and playing basketball over there. Cuz there's a basketball court. I got you. Like, she. She just calls us names. The tensions are practically boiling over, and the kids in the neighborhood are giving police a firsthand account of Susan's verbal attacks and threats against them. What kind of names is she calling you guys? Retards? The B word. The B word. The B word everywhere in the book. Like, one time we were. The kids were playing right there, and it was his dad outside. And then she came. Your dad, cowboy. She came out yelling and she was talking about a little girl getting raped and stuff. Like, she's crazy. Like, she'll come out. All of them said, like, literally approached him in like an aggressive manner. He's like this big. This big. And he's not right. No, I did not. He walked up to me and get the hell off my property. And he's a little disrespectful little bastard. So then at that point, I'm pissed off, sure. So I'm walking off and I said, okay, I was trying to come over here and resolve with you, but I tell you what, the next time you walk up with my kids, you're going to have to take it up with me, okay? Oh, now you're threatening me. I'm calling the police. Okay? Literally, I never even even got face to face contact with her, but she never opened the door. Okay? Ajka is being harassed by this woman. Her children are being harassed. Other children are being harassed, and Susan Lawrence is the only person that calls the police. I think that says a lot about who feels like the police are supposed to protect them. I think the deputies were tired of responding to that neighborhood. Y' all have a good evening. Thank you. Yeah, psycho. You gonna go back, talk to her? Just gonna be like, listen, kids are gonna be kids. If you don't like it, then you should probably move so you can even see their frustration going out over and over again with these claims of trespassing that were simply unwarranted. 911, what is your emergency? We've got some kids. We're just trespassing. This little kid is trying to put a dog in my truck. What color is it? You guys chasing a dog? Or trying to put a dog into a car or something? No, the Karen called. The Karen called? Yes. As said. Oh, the children would call her. The kids. And she flicked me off. She flipped him off. Because this is public space right now. The children would be in the body cam, and they would say things to law enforcement like, yeah, the lady across the street, she's always calling us bad names, and she's harassing us. One time, I was riding the bike in her parking lot, and she called me a slave. A slave? A slave. The neighbor said that to you? She did. She told us stuff, and she called us the N word. She used to call us the N word with the heart R. Just the name saying we're gonna get raped if we be in her yard. Wait right here. Ashika would tell me that there was a neighbor that was calling them all sorts of names. Racial slurs. What kind of an impact did that have on your daughter? Because as a black parent, you try to shield your children. Yes. From that kind of thing. And now to have to have that conversation with them about race. Yes. My daughter Ajica always wanted them to know that they're not what this person is calling them, you know, to have pride in themselves. That's why I'm gonna go talk to her. She. Every time I go, I walk, walk past. She thinks we're trying to steal her truck. Go buy her truck. We're not even at. How old are you? We're 11. Okay. Yeah. Hello. How are you? Good. Is it Susan? Yes. Okay. What's going on? The kids from across the street and his little buddies, they're over here. They're stepping on the sides and stuff. He brings out a puppy. He wants to put his puppy in my truck. I don't go for that. In the bed of your truck? Yeah. Who? This little child pose for me because he thought he was being so bloody cute. That little child. That child she's pointing to in the photo is Ajika's son, Izzy. How did it affect your mom? How upset was she about all of this? She was over the top. Because coming home after a long day of work just to hear your kids complain about a lady who's bothering you? Not exactly the type who would take it easily. She's saying he was trying to put the dog in the back of the truck. You think he could even lift that dog? That dog is bigger than him. The portal is bigger than him. Literally, like that dog is. That dog stands this the whole time about this ride around. All of us live out here. Nobody else is Complaining. Nobody else. She's the only one. There are several kids out there right now. And I'm caring for my wife. I'm very scared. I lost my doors. You just don't fathom that it would turn into what it turned into. Hello? What's that? I think somebody got shot. 643 Mary, and I'm 97. I have one down. I have one elderly female barricaded in the house with a signal zero. Typical day. It was a gorgeous day to be out, and the kids were in their first full week out of school, just like other kids around Central Florida. They had their whole summer ahead of them. It seemed like a regular, normal day. The kids were playing. We were all doing what we normally did. There were kids playing in the yard, as most kids do on a summer night, on a Friday. Susan Lorenz had a problem with children being what she considered was too close to her apartment building, she says caused her distress. It caused her to not be able to sleep. She woke up from a nap because she says she was not feeling well. She heard the kids playing. Just us being loud, playing in the yard, probably while she was trying to, like, rest or something. We were kids at the time. What kids do in a big yard that they see the plan. The kids have another encounter with Susan Lorenz. One of Ajika Owens children had left an iPad and needed to retrieve the iPad from Susan Lorenz and could not get it from her. One of the kids left his iPad and so he went over to get it, and they said that she was throwing roller skates at him. According to the kids who were there and witnessed it, Susan's verbal attacks turned physical. So I was outside playing basketball, and I just see a pair of roller skates flying at Izzy. There was an issue with roller skates. And she says that she grabbed the roller skates and threw them, told them to pick up your stuff and go home. So me and Isaac went over there, and then she came out and with the umbrella and started swinging it and called us a jackass. And then she slurred us. Susan said that one of Ms. Owens children came to her apartment and they had exchanged words to which the child told Susan that, I'm gonna go tell my mom. Susan told him to go get his mother. And of course, any child who's having, you know, a problem with an adult is going to inform their parents. And so that's exactly what happened. They went back to their home and they got their mother. Her son tells her, this is what happened. She took my tablet. She Threw a skate at me. Susan Lawrence called 911 just before 9 o' clock saying that there were kids being too loud and too noisy. 91 1. What is the address? Emergency. I am a call taker and a dispatcher for the Marion County Fire Rescue. I took Susan Lorenz's first 911 call. Tell me exactly what happened. They're leaving all the toys around. Just dreaming, knowing, just being. When I first answered the phone, she was talking about a noise complaint for the children. They just badgering me and badgering me. I'm sick of these children now that they're home from school. It's like, you know, craziness. And then changed it to, like a trespass, that they were not allowed to be at that location. There are several kids out there right now. I'm caring for my life. I'm very scared. They have no business over there. There's no trespassing. Anytime we have a disturbance call, we have to tell them to separate themselves and to keep themselves in a safe location. All right? Do you want you to avoid that person and then keep your doors and windows locked. An officer will be dispatched as soon as possible. As soon as I had the address, the phone number, and the. The problem, I had the call sent over immediately. Okay, thanks. A.J. owens walked over to Susan's house and wanted to have a discussion, a dialogue, a conversation with Susan. From everything that we gathered during our investigation, at least one of her children was in the proximity of a few feet of their mother. And while Susan was inside of her apartment alone, she initially heard a barrage of banging on her door. And all of a sudden, I heard what I thought was her banging on the wall. And I heard it twice. And, I mean, I swear I could see my wall shake. She got two sets of knocks, and she got 1, 2, 3, and then she got the 1, 2, 3, which was louder. And that's when she said, come outside, bitch. It's now 9:01pm Two minutes after Susan Lorenz's 911 call. No, I. I heard a pop and people screaming. I heard a guy shout, so I just ran inside. All I could hear is screams. The gun went off and it was over. Then that's when I told all the kids, get back, get back. Because I didn't know if the lady was still gonna be shooting or what. There. I steal someone with a gun. I'm in front, I'm in front. Show me your hand. On the night of the incident, I was responding to quail run in reference a trespassing call. Of children playing in a field near the home of the caller, which was Susan Lorenz. They have no business over there. There's no trespasses found. We were a few minutes out. We get a updated call advising that there had been a shooting. I heard what to me sounded like a gunshot. Somebody got shot. His mom got shot. I think somebody just got shot. 64th of the Grand. Do they know who the shooter is, where they're at? Susan Lawrence fired one shot through the door. It hit AJ through the chest, under the armpit. There is terror. Children have seen their mother get shot. AJ was really upset. She wants to have a conversation. Correct. And instead she gets a bullet. One of AJ's sons was with her and saw the shooting. AJ walked back from Susan's house and told her son to call 911 before she collapsed. I cannot imagine for Izzy to be standing there next to his mom, and a gunshot pierces the door and hits his mom. I cannot imagine what that had to be like for him. He told me that he heard her say, call the police. Call 911. I've been shot. One of her sons is then running frantically to a neighbor's home trying to get help for his mother. So I was cooking dinner for my kids. All the kids were playing outside in the field. And I got this big bang on my door while I was serving their plates. And it was loud. My kids looked out the window, and there was, like, Isaac's outside, Mom. So I opened the door, and he was really frantic. He was, like, so frantic he couldn't breathe. I came outside and I ran across the field, and she was just laying there. And it was just. It was a lot. Isaac, the oldest, comes just through here, screaming, hollering, they shot my mom. They shot my mom. I'm scrambling like, this can't be true. I don't understand. He takes me by the hand and leads me to his mother's body over in the field. I was in disbelief. There's probably 14 people standing on this side of the street, and she's alone on the ground. And I just. I couldn't do anything but try and help her. And then I started cpr. Susan was inside her house. She did not come outside her house. But after that shooting, she had called 911 again. 911's dad just said the emergency. Oh, my God. This lady just tried to break down my door. I shot through the door. I didn't know what to do. I grabbed my gun. I was sitting up at Cracker Barrel and just kind of eating My dinner out in the parking lot, and I had heard them dispatching a shooting, tossing my food in the passenger seat, heading the lights, and I'm heading out at the speed of light as fast as I can to get to Quail Run, which fortunately is only a few blocks away. We need to get over here and make sure whoever has the gun is secured. We don't know where the shooter's at. It's like the second 911 call from Susan. Susan was very frantic. Take a deep breath. Mommy. Calm down. Oh, my God. You said someone tried to break down your door. Is that correct? What? What? The woman was screaming and yelling at you, trying to break down my doors. We get to the neighborhood as we pull up right here by the mailboxes. Right here, right here, right here. When we arrived, we seen the victim laying on the ground, and the community had gathered around and was trying to help her. She's got bones, she said. She's got bullets. Right side of chest. Okay. There's no exit. That night, when I walked over here and I saw AJ and they were doing CPR on her, I don't know, I just had this really bad feeling. Where is she shot at? Right here. She was on the ground right here. There was a group of people around. They were worked up. They were upset. They were crying. They were trying to help her out medically, however they could. As I'm responding, I'm hearing my radio. They're talking about how this shooting has occurred. There's one female victim who is on the ground. To make sure, I grab my trauma bag. I need to make sure I have my gloves and I have all of my items. I need to be able to assist her the best I can. She stated she's shot through the door. Okay, where's your gun now? It's in my bedroom. So I made sure I put that in a call immediately so I can let the deputies know what they're going to walk into. There is still someone with a gun. She's inside. Okay. Yes, he's where? Jake? Sheriff's office. Your hands up. 643 MAR. I'm 97. I have one down. I have one elderly female barricaded in the house with a signal zero. There is still someone with a gun. She's inside. Okay, thank you. Where? Where? She's in the house, bro. That apartment right here. This first apartment. I need like a short yard. Baby, wake up. And I asked, hey, where's the person with a gun? And I was directed by the group to go over here. That. Hey, they're in that apartment. And if you watch the body cam back, you can see I'm in front. I'm in front. I come over to the fence. And we began giving commands. Sheriff's office. Come outside with your hands up. This is the Marion County Sheriff's Office. Come outside with your hands up. Show me your hands. Show me your hands. Turn around. Turn around. Where's your gun at? It's in my bed. I don't know what's going on. You're gonna be detained for now. Is there anybody else in the house? Can I just get. No, no, no. Not right now. You're not under arrest. You're being detained. Okay, fine. She was calm and she asked me. Hey, can you shut the door? Don't let the cats out. Wait, I have two cats inside. Females detained. Need medics. 1018, and she comes out with this confused look on her face, as if she doesn't know why they wanted her to come out of her home. Come this way. No, no. Come on. Okay, we will worry about that in a minute. Right now, I got other things to worry about. Get over there and assess her. I will bring the bag over here. I gotta sit you in the back here. Go assess the person down. Okay? You just sitting there. Hey, I need someone give her aid right there. She needs medical aid over there. All right, sit inside. I need you all the way inside. I need help, though. Okay? I need you to hurry, though. Okay? I understand you need help. She's got poles. She said she's got poles. When I find Ms. Owens under the tree, she's unresponsive, she's not talking. She got a gunshot wound to her right shoulder area. They've been doing CPR for about five minutes. If you're not ready, you clear the stage. Man, it's like no one could move fast enough. I think there was so much shock and horror at what had just happened. Take a step back because they're going to try to pick her up. And I think we're all just praying it's not too late. How do you get word? Isaac, my grandson called me. He's just screaming, yelling, saying that mom's been shot. Mom's been shot. We need to rope this off. Yeah, that's why he's grabbing tape right now. Murphy, get some tape. Where's Izzy? Come here, baby. Hi, Izzy. Come here, buddy. Hey. So right now she's going to the hospital, so that way they can take better care of her than what I can do right here. Here. Okay. My son's the same age. And so just hearing her baby, you know, I. I imagine what my son would feel like. What if that was me? What if he was crying for me? And it hurts. You're being so strong. Very proud of you. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. Sorry. It's okay. All right. Okay. All right. Daddy, here. Come here. It was approximately 15, 20 minutes later when we got notified that she had passed away. They're doing the notification to the kids right now. It was rough. The older kids, we had to break it to them, and they had their dad there at the time. Y' all love me, okay? Y' all love Mom. All right. I got some bad news to tell you. Mom. And stop coming back to the minute. Come, come, come, come, come. No, no, no. Come here. Come over here. Listen to me. No, no. I know. Okay. It's okay. I know. Okay? I know. I'm sorry. Sorry. I'm so sorry. I am sorry. I'm so sorry. He can't go. I think that you hope that these kids understand that we did everything that there was that we could do on that night. I just remember myself screaming. I could hear myself now screaming. Why? I'm told over the phone that my daughter has been killed. I cried. I screamed. I screamed. Hello? Why did you. Because she was threatening me. Based on the circumstances at the scene, Susan, go ahead and step out for me. I felt it was best to have Susan transported to the Major Crimes Building where we can conduct an interview. And then. You don't have to sit straight forward. You can sit sideways. My daughter was killed. Someone shot her. Someone needed to be held accountable. Hello? Put your clock on. I pulled because the lady across the street on the phone, it was the perfect storm brewing. Her children were walking their dog on the property that she called the police. Yeah. But I don't know that anyone knew that it would end. Does the Mary County Sheriff's Office? Come outside with your hands up. With Ajika Owen shot dead, take a step back, because they're gonna try to take her up on the street in her own neighborhood. Mom is not coming back anymore because Susan Lorenz shot a gun through her front door. Ajica was the type of person that always showed up. No matter what she had going on. She made a way to be present. She signed us up for football, and she would be the one buying the snacks and getting on the water, and she would even make us run if we dropped a pass or missed a tackle. When I think about her, I think about her smile. That's the first thing I think about she had this big smile. Her personality would just fill up the space. We would often chit chat over the phone and talk about her different dreams and aspirations. She said you just wait and see. The world is going to know my name. This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. You ever find yourself playing the budgeting game? Well, with the name your price tool from Progressive you can find options that fit your budget and potentially lower your bills. Try it@progressive.com Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates Price and coverage match limited by state law not available in all states. This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. You ever find yourself playing the budgeting game? Well, with the name your price tool from Progressive you can find find options that fit your budget and potentially lower your bills. Try it@progressive.com Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates Price and coverage match limited by state law not available in all states. Three hours after Ajika Owens shooting, Susan Lorenz is in the interview room at the Marion County, Florida Sheriff's office. Hi. I'm sorry, I'm sitting here cuz I was freezing. Oh, it is chilly in here, isn't it Susan? Yes. I'm Detective St. This is Detective Peterson. Investigators take Susan Lorenz down to headquarters to question her about what had happened. Can we just get you slide that chair back over here in just a moment. I'm sorry to keep you waiting so long. I was the lead investigator on the Susan Lee Lawrence Ajuka Owens homicide case. So I wanted to be in the room to speak with Susan about what happened. So we're working this investigation and at this point you're not free to leave. So I have to make you aware of your rights. Okay. Before we talk, so I have to read this to you. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can, it will be used against you in a court of law. During the first interview, Susan denied any allegations that were made by either children or witnesses on scene. There was some statements given to us that you had taken a tablet or picked up a tablet that was in the ground. Absolutely not. No. And what was the, what was the deal with the roller skate? Because again, we talked to a lot of people who were outside and keep leaving all their toys around. Like I said, you know, stop already. This is not your garbage yard. You know, and the kid's got his roller skates there and I'm like, really take the roller skates. I threw him the roller skates. I'm like, go fetch him. You know, just be enough because. Did you throw that at them? Oh, God, no. Okay. We're trying to determine, is Susan embellishing the details to make it appear like she's the victim, when in reality her anger and even fear got the best of her. So you were communicating with her through the door? Yeah. And I'm like, all right, just leave, you know, I don't want to hear it. Now. Kill you. Kill you. I didn't think too much of it until she really started pounding that door. And I'm like, oh my God. Then I really. I get scared, like terrified scared. I don't even actually remember picking up the gun. I just remember shooting. At that point, I felt important to reveal to her that Ms. Owens had passed away from a gunshot wound. We gotta kinda get specific about this. Cause it's a big deal. I understand. Someone's dead. Jesus Christ. She never seemed to consider the status of Ms. Owens until it was revealed that she had passed. It's only because she was pounding at my door and I honest to God thought she was gonna come in. I was just fearful of my life and I was just like, go away, go away. That's all I could think of is just get out of the situation, you know, just go away already. And. But when you fire through a door that's closed, was it locked? Yes, it was locked. In that moment, that night, that door was shut, locked, deadbolted. What we're looking at is the front door of Susan Loren's apartment that she shot through the night that Ms. Owens was killed. The bullet hole is marked here. I did have the deadbot on, so I didn't know how long the door was going to open. And that's why I'm asking is because at first it's broken and now it's super secure with an extra long deadbolt. No, I'm just saying that we did put the. But if you look at it, everything crumbling. Susan indicated during our interviews that there had been prior damage to her door. And based off of that, she had the landlord install what she described as an extra long deadbolt. Her claim of self defense became complicated, particularly when we all learned that she had shot and killed Aika Owens through a locked door. And after you fired the round, what, what did you do? She said, allen, I'm like, oh my God, I hit her. And I. It just, you know, clicked. I hit her. Oh, like, Jesus Christ. And I thought, I just, you know, nick something never, ever. And, and what, what did, what did you. Did you go out there? No, you didn't go. Susan maintained that her intention was to scare Ms. Owens away. That she just wanted the banging to stop. Were you trying to hit her or were you trying to scare her off? I was never intending to hit her. I just thought. I thought I hit really high, you know, just like all I get is, go away, go away, go away, go away. Were you aiming for the door? I just fired the gun because all I could think of is I felt like I was in mortal danger. It's just how I felt. The interesting thing about the state of Florida is that we have this stand your ground law. Good evening. And we begin with the growing anger across this country over the shooting death of that unarmed teenager, Trayvon Martin. In Florida, they have a law called the stand your ground law. In most states, you're required to retreat if someone comes after you. You don't have the right to shoot someone on the street if you feel that you're in danger. In Florida, you do have that right. Members of the jury, have you reached a verdict that has been very controversial? It's been used successfully by a lot of people in a court of law. We, the jury, find George Zimmerman not guilty. Okay. All right, Susan, give me just a minute. Let me write. As things start to wrap up, you get a sense that maybe now she's gonna be hauled off to the Marion county jail to be held accountable for what has happened. Susanne, I talked to the state attorney, the prosecutor for the state attorney's office. They are along the same lines of what we're thinking. We're going to continue the investigation knowing that there were so many things that still had unanswered questions and unresolved evidence gathering. We made the choice to release Susan. We'll go out this door here. And in the end, she just gets to walk out of the room as though none of it had ever happened. What world are we living in that a mother was just killed in front of her children through a closed, locked door and she's not arrested? You just have a seat in the back. I'll turn the AC up and we'll get out of here. All right. Thank you. Bunch of stuff. Every day, Susan Lorenz was allowed to roam free in that community. The outrage make your life easier? Are you kidding me? The demand for justice. Many people today protested. A mother has lost. Her life continued to build. And I'm going to tell you something. It was going to explode. No justice, no tr. All right, we're going out this door right here on the right. Nine hours after shooting Ajika Owens, Susan Lorenz is free to go. So I. I spoke with Detective Stith. I guess you've talked to him already today. He said that you're going to gather some belongings and go to a hotel. Is that correct? They handcuffed her and put her in the back of the cop car. So everybody thought she was being arrested. And come to find out she wasn't arrested. Thank you. I was in disbelief. I was. I didn't understand. I thought from the start that it was murder. There was never a question in my mind, will I be able to go in my apartment or no. I'm sorry. Will I be able to go in my apartment or no? Because I need to pick a medication. Yeah, I think detective Sith is going to allow you to gather some belongings. Okay. She was here getting her stuff, and that's when everything just broke out with, like, all the neighbors. All the neighbors were upset. Everybody was mad. Susan relocates to a hotel after the shooting. She comes back to her apartment from time to time with police. Most of us were home when Susan came home to get some of her belongings and things like that. Hey, Gaby, Come here. Lost my mind. Days go by, and this woman who had shot and killed her neighbor isn't arrested? No, no, she isn't arrested. This neighborhood was really, really upset and up in arms, enraged. They're screaming over there. She's. I know. I hear. I'm gonna go talk to them. Can you all stay over there? Can you just. Just don't. Just don't talk to them. She came out here, and she was getting her stuff, and I was inside, and I looked, and I saw her out the window, and I came outside, and I was so mad. Like, I was so mad. Hey, ma'. Am. How you doing? So I'm just gonna talk to you real quick. I know you're upset, okay? Everybody's upset. She's gonna end up in jail, so it don't matter, but everybody's upset. Listen, I'm gonna be honest with you. I'm here. She shouldn't even be in the streets. She murdered this lady. Okay, listen. I'm gonna be honest with you. I'm here because she called me. She. She. Because she knows better than to be out here alone. That's why she got people with her. Okay? Because he knows. She actually came with a police escort. She was able to get done what she needed to get done, but it was difficult for other people to see. Hey, what are you doing right now? Can you come to Susan's house? Whole neighborhood's coming out, and they're going slightly verbal. 1080. I'm good. Yeah, Watch out. Look at that face. Could have been any of us that would have went and knocked on that door that night. So everybody was upset. She literally killed this innocent woman. And the next day after she murdered her, she's walking around freely. It's not right. I was familiar with stand you'd ground and at that point was afraid that their delay in her arrest had to do with stand you'd ground. And I knew we needed immediate legal support and representation. We'd like to thank every single person who's present with us today. My name is Anthony Thomas. I'm an attorney for the family. I as well as attorney Benjamin Crump or working very closely with the family so that we can bring justice to the unlawful killing of a black mother of four who was shot through the door on Friday evening. And we wanted her story to be told and let people, you know, the world know what happened to her. I just want to thank everybody for coming out for my mother. Thank you. What I'm asking is for justice. Justice for my daughter. Ajica Chantrell Owens. Justice for your family, for your children, for your loved ones. Justice for America. Because we want to seek justice and we want to assure that we get the facts right, especially in a case to this level. But you just don't take always one side because it doesn't always paint the full picture. The sheriff of Marion county, actually Billy woods, told me that he was going to do everything within his power to investigate the situation. That's not enough. It's his job to investigate the situation. What I wanted to hear from Billy woods was that he was going to make an arrest. Many people today protested the lack of an arrest in the shooting of Ajika Owens. No justice ld Marion county sheriff Billy woods has said that he cannot make an arrest while the sheriff's department investigates whether this meets the criteria of Flora's stand your ground law. More than 75 people came to downtown Ocala to demand an arrest. Marching all the way to the state attorney's office. A mother has lost her life for being a mother. Where is the justice in that? As I've explained to the people that I've been talking to, there's evidence that's being gathered. There are things that are being looked at. There are warrants that are being executed. She's supposed to jail, so it's supposed to. It's important to wait for the. For the evidence to. We understand that process, sir, but why isn't she in jail? Why this process? Because if it was us be in jail, why y' all doing this process. I felt that they just saw her just as another black life and that because she was black, that maybe there wasn't the urgency to make an arrest. I felt that had the roles been reversed, in my opinion, that there would have been an immediate arrest. The standard of the law of self defense in Florida applies to everyone. We follow the evidence and we take as long as it takes to get the facts right. What did that mean to you, to have people come in and to advocate on your behalf? It told me that people understood the atrocity of this. It showed that people still care. People want justice. We're here to fight and show you that our life mattered and that justice needs to be served. And it will be served as long as we all have breath in our bodies. Okay, let's just help them in, Susan. Susan was taken in for questioning a second time four days after the initial shooting. Have you ever heard of the term stand your ground? Yes. Susan, I think you know the reason why I'm asking that question. You. You're smart. Okay. And the reason is. Oh, hell, no. No, absolutely. I know what you're thinking. Nice to meet you. They got to my dishes. Nice. This is Detective Ryan Stith. Be attempting to make phone contact with the suspect, Susan Lawrence. Hello. Hi. This is Detective Stith with the sheriff's office. Yes, is this Susan? Yes, it is. My supervisor said that we have some additional questions. I was wondering if he'd be available. Susan has been walking around freely, but detectives are still investigating, talking to nearly everybody in the neighborhood. And then they want to talk to Susan again. It's four days after the shooting. Her being just as cold in here. I know. All right, give us. Just help me. They eventually questioned her a second time. Susan tries to repeat the same story that she'd given him. She took the role of the victim, that she was, you know, afraid for her life. Same thing. Bring me to that moment when you had the gun in your hand. What were you thinking? All I wanted her was to go away. I just, you know, I felt she was going to come through that door and kill me. I'm sorry. That's what I felt. I just felt she was going to come through the door and kill me. Okay. It was a tremendous fear. Did you feel bad for what happened? Oh, Christ, yes. This wasn't just violence. This was racialized violence. Susan had a history of using racial epithelium. What kind of things was she saying? That you. You called her kids? That I called them racial slurs. That I called them slaves. And that's never happened. I did call them retards once, because they just kept coming and coming. I said, are you retarded? You can't read the sign? Is there any reason why anybody would have any video or anything like that of you saying, like, the N word? I have no idea. And if I did let it go, I'm sorry, I just looked out. What context would it slip out, do you think? I mean, what would happen for you to say something like that? If they were being extraordinarily rude or if they were just. I was always taught the N word meant that you were just being unlawful, you know, dirty. Just, I don't know, generally not being pleasant. Okay, I'm just. Just trying to figure out who's sitting in front of me here. Is it. Is it over here? I've been planning this. I picked up the gun, and I was waiting for her to come over because it was very quick. It was two minutes, or it was. I had the gun in my hand, and I made a mistake. Susan had already made the first 911 call about the kids trespassing. And then within two and a half minutes after she called 911 to report that she had fired through her door, you had just disconnected. Within two minutes, a shot was fired through that door. There's no way to justify that. This wasn't a long siege. It wasn't a castle siege. It didn't last for 20, 30 minutes. It was two minutes. So you're trying to tell us that a reasonable person would shoot somebody for less than two minutes of making statements outside. That doesn't make any sense. Being afraid of Adjika and therefore feeling like she needed to purchase a gun. Now, is that a gun that you've. A gun that you've had for years or you just had it for a couple weeks? Help me understand that. No. Over a year. Okay? Over a year. I used to be terrified of firearms. And then a friend said, you know, you really can't defend yourself. He said, you should think about getting a gun. Susan had two firearms. By her own admission, when she went to her bedroom to retrieve a firearm, she actually had to move a second firearm, a Ruger.22 handgun, out of the way to retrieve her Remington 380. You said that you used the.380 right when you fired the gun. Okay. Is there any reason why you chose that gun inside the other one? They were both loaded, right? They were both loaded. It's just the one I picked up. Making the choice to. Of the two guns that she had available to use the more powerful gun. Grabbed the gun. I was shaking like a leaf. And the more she bound me, the more she screamed. I was like, stop, stop, stop. Go away. Move away. She wouldn't move away. Finally, I'm going to kill you. And that was the last time. And I just fired the bucket. Okay. Was there a spot you picked or something like that? I just kind of. There was the door. I knew she was at the door, shoved. I have not learned of her ever saying to you that she wanted. That. That she wanted to get into the house. It sounded more like she wanted to talk to you outside of the house. How do you want to talk to outside the house when you're banging and screaming? Yeah. That's not reasonable. One of the people said that she said, come outside. That's not. I'm sorry. Come out. It's not what? It's not reasonable and prudent. One of the things that I recognized almost immediately, as soon as she said it was some of the terms that she was using to describe the incident. You had mentioned terminology like reasonable and prudent. Where did that come from, that terminology? Watching tv. Watching tv. Okay. Probably just crime shows and stuff. It turns out she was very familiar with the stand your ground law. She had been researching it. Have you ever heard of the term stand your ground? Yes. Have you ever done any kind of research on that? Yes. When it was mentioned on. Some guy shot someone at a convenience store, and they said, stand your ground there. So nothing recent that would be on, like, your Internet browser history? Oh, I look up tons of stuff. Susan, I think you know the reason why I'm asking that question. You. You're smart. Okay. And. And the reason is. Oh, hell, no. No, absolutely. I know what you're thinking. Did I look at the laws so I could do something? No. This is not a situation where you set something up to. Because you were. You were tired of this person. You were tired of the situation that. That. That you. No. Okay. Sorry. No. I've told a lot of people that they're going to jail for very serious crimes, but I was still kind of stunned by Susan's response. Stand up. Don't touch me. Susan. Stand up. Susan. No, listen. It can go one of two ways. It can go an easy way, or it can go really hard way. I'm sorry. Was your goal to shoot and kill her? No. What? Was your goal to shoot and hopefully, you know, she'd hear the shot and just speak. I. I just. I just got having a really hard time making this jump here, that this unarmed person on the other side of the wall is. Is somehow gonna. Is somehow gonna get into your house and kill you. I'm just really having a hard time getting there. The detectives keep telling her, well, you've got to help us understand what happened here. Why were you in fear for your life? Why did you feel threatened? Do you feel like you did something wrong here? I did what I felt I had to. I honestly thought that she was going to kill me. I mean, that's all I felt. I just felt that terror. I mean, it was sheer terror. And Susan Lorenz can't really quite articulate outside of these allegations that Ajika Owens was making these threats toward her through this locked front door and banging on the door. I can't get to the point where pounding on the door leads to your. Leads to you being hurt or killed. I can't get. Because I told you it was gonna break the door down. Ajika Owens wasn't strong enough to knock that door down. The door was locked. She wasn't getting in there. Many people who were questioned the night of the shooting have said, we did not hear AJ Threaten Susan. No one that we've interviewed so far has made any statements about her saying that she wanted to kill you. That's what I heard. All I heard was knocking and then a gunshot. That's it. There were no fighting, none of that. When she's knocking on the door, did you hear anything else said other than those words? No, nothing else was said. Is it possible she never threatened you at all? I swear to God, I thought she said, I'm going to kill you. I mean, that's why I just panicked. As soon as those words came out of her mouth, I was like, jesus Christ, she's going to kill me. No one else in the neighborhood heard those threats that night other than Susan. And it's Susan's word against the other witnesses, and it's really a case of, who do you believe more? She has four kids, and I can't let you talk to them, but I would like, if it's up to you, if you would like to write them a letter or something to kind of, you know, whatever's on your mind or in your heart. You don't have to. We're just going to leave a notepad and a pen in the room. I am so sorry for your loss. I never meant to kill your mother. I was terrified your mom was. Was going to kill me. I shot out of fear. The decision was made that Susan was going to be Charged with manslaughter. All right, Susan. All right. I'm going to have you go with this deputy here. No, I'm sorry. No. No. What? I can't. What's wrong? What's going on? I just can't. I'm sorry. I can't. Unfortunately, we're to that point where that's what's gonna happen. She couldn't believe it. She. She couldn't believe it. She thought that, you know, everything was just gonna go her way. Okay, so you're gonna go with this deputy. No, I'm not. You're gonna be booked in. No, I'm not. And fingerprinted. I'm not gonna move. Sorry. She very matter of factly and politely declined to go to jail. Susan, you. We are. We are going. There's no change in that now. You're. You're under arrest. In fact, we'd probably go ahead and put handcuffs on her. Let's get on Susan, get you handcuffed. Stand up, Susan. Stand up. Susan, don't do it. No, listen, it can go one of two ways. It can go an easy way or it can go really hard way. I'm sorry. We don't want it to go the hard way. I just can't do this. I'm sorry. So what do you plan on sitting here the rest of the night? I don't know what I'm going to do. I'm probably going to die of a heart attack. Well, like I said, they have medical staff over there. We want to be able to get you over there. I had never seen or heard anything like that during an interview. Susan, this is what's going to happen. We're going to put you in handcuffs. And if we have to forcefully bring you out there, that's what we have to do because we are obligated to take you to the jail now. Okay, thank you for standing up. Just. I understand that. So change my back for me. Thank you. Susan. I didn't do this on purpose. This wasn't a purposeful act. I did not premeditate it. I didn't do anything like that. This was ridiculous. We're going to drop this one, right? Four days after the shooting, Susan is finally arrested. Because the people spoke. I think that when we brought the attention to the situation, law enforcement had no other recourse but to arrest Susan. And at that point, tonight was a pivotal moment with the arrest of the perpetrator who shot and tragically killed my daughter. Now to Florida to the 58 year old neighbor accused of shooting and killing A young mother of four. Tonight, that suspect appearing for the judge, listed as a suicide risk, forced to wear a green vest, now charged with manslaughter. Good morning, ma'. Am. What is your name? Sue. Susan Lorenz. Today, the state attorney officially charged Susan Lorenz with manslaughter, saying he must follow the law, not family sentiment. State attorney William Gladstone announced today a second degree murder charge was considered but felt the state couldn't prove without a reasonable doubt that Lorenz had hatred, spite, ill will or evil intent towards Owens. The state attorney decided not to press a murder charge, but instead manslaughter. Understanding the law, I knew why. If they can't prove the higher charge, then the person may walk, they may go free. I felt that the manslaughter charge against Susan was a slap in the face. I felt that it was murder. But at this point, I'm just happy that there are charges. At least there's charges. A year later, all eyes are on Ocala, Florida. Everyone was watching. Everyone was watching the outcome of the trial against Susan Lorenz. I had grave concerns. We have a jury. All white. I didn't know. I did know. This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you could save some cash? Progressive makes it easy to see if you could save when you bundle your home in auto policies. Try it@progressive.com Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states. This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you could save some cash? Progressive makes it easy to see if you could save when you bundle your home and auto policies. Try it@progressive.com Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states. Right now we're gonna turn to the manslaughter trial of the Florida woman accused of fatally shooting her neighbor. Are we ready to go? Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Let's bring the jurors back, please. Oh, it was huge. The trial was huge. Court's now in session, your honor, Robert W. Hodges presiding. Have a seat, everybody. Seeing Susan for the first time. Can I just let my facial expression speak? We were extremely scared when we ended up with an all white jury. The politics of this place are extremely conservative. Did you go into the trial concerned about whether there would be a conviction or were you hopeful? By the time the trial had started, Susan had begun to age a little bit. When she shot my daughter, she was a strong, healthy woman. I was afraid that they were going to see her as this elderly, frail white woman that was afraid for her life. This morning, the trial underway for the Florida woman accused of shooting a gun through her front door, killing her neighbor. I'm Deputy Michael Stranger. Deputy Aaron Barboza. My name is Ashton Wolfenberg, and I'm a deputy with the Marion County Sheriff's Office. Show you Photograph Fin B8 of States 1. This is the firearm. Did you conduct a second interview with the defendant? Yes, sir, I did. The jury gets to see Susan's explanations, those tapes with the police, and they get to hear from the neighbors. Please introduce yourself to the jury. My name is Franklin Mice. My name is Yvonne Costa. I heard a lot of pounding, a lot of yelling, screaming. And then I heard a gunshot. At any time, did you ever hear Isaac and Izzy's mom say, I'm going to kill you? Yes, sir. Miss Lawrence, have you discussed with your attorneys the decision regarding whether or not you will testify or not? Yes, I have. Can you tell us what that decision is? I am not going to testify. In her mind, in her soul, in her core, Susan Lawrence felt she had no choice, no choice at all but to fire that door. It was either Susan or AJ Susan chose to defend herself. In closing arguments, the defense lawyers give jurors a dozen reasons to find Susan Lawrence not guilty. She's not guilty. But prosecutors argue it comes down to one question. The crux of this case, ladies and gentlemen, is whether at the time she fired her billing at that closed, locked, deadbolted door, did she reasonably believe that her conduct was necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm against her? Ladies and gentlemen, both the state and the defense have now arrested their cases. All rise. When word came back that there was a verdict, I think you sensed anxiety, tension, concern. Would this community that had been demanding justice for Ajica Owens finally get it in this ocala courtroom? John, it's my understanding you have reached a verdict in this case. Is that correct? We were all clenching each other's hands so tightly. Verdict as account one. We the jury. Fine. As to count one of the charge, the defendant is guilty of manslaughter. So say we all faded. The 16th day of August, 2024. Thank you. Literally, I had to hold Pam. Like, she wasn't walking. She couldn't even step. I was holding her out the courtroom and she let out this huge, like, just cry into my chest. I thought that a guilty verdict was going to make me feel better and almost had the opposite effect. It didn't make me feel good. It validated what I already knew that my daughter's life should never have been taken. Ms. Lawrence, you're gonna be held in custody of the Marion County Jail without bond until that time. Okay, thank you and good luck to. Three months later, Susan Lawrence is back in court for sentencing. I was there the day she was sentenced because I knew how deeply important it was for this community. I never had a problem with a black person in my life. This is not about race, and I actually love children. The shooting was based, I find, but more on anger than fear. I think that's pretty well established in this case. So what I'm going to do in this case is order. Is assuming adjudicated guilty of manslaughter with a firearm or serve 25 years in department of Corrections. The day after Susan's sentencing, I emailed her defense attorney and said, I want to do an interview with her. If you allow, there's some questions I think need to be answered. She said, I'm willing to speak with you. I want my story out there. Walk me back through your initial reaction when they said guilty. It was shock. It was just absolute shock knowing how badly she had treated me. She would scream at me and be extraordinarily nasty. If you had an opportunity to speak to AJ's kids, would you be open to talk to them? Yes, I would. And say what? Just that I'm sorry, and I wish things had turned out differently, and I understand their pain. It's horrible to lose, you know, someone you love so much. There was a conviction, but there are four children. Four children who don't have their mom. How are you finding the strength to sort of keep pushing forward and doing well with everything happening? That neighborhood will forever be known as a neighborhood where Susan lived and AJ died. And I would probably like people to remember, too. That's also the neighborhood where AJ lived. This is a little memorial that Africa made. This is Ajica. If you see right here, it looks like watermarks, but it's actually Africa's tears. This is when Asaka was pregnant with Isaac. He's the one that made her a mom that changed her life. Happy birthday, dear Africa Happy birthday to you miss Africa's first birthday fun. Can I blow it? AJ's mom, on some level, got a sense of justice. There was a conviction, but there are four children. Izzy, Isaac, Africa, Titus. Four children who don't have their mom. I believe every day they wake up wishing that their mom was there. Every day. You know, we still think of them. I do. I think of them a lot. How are they doing right now time has passed, but the grief and the hurt has not passed. How do you want people to remember A.J. she is. She was the embodiment, the epitome of what a mother should be. Life wasn't easy for her always, But she did it with grace. How hard has it been? It's been very hard. I just can't believe she's gone, you know? My rock and my fire. Since I was born, you're rocking your fire. I just gotta be the strong man she raised me to be. What are your memories of your mom? I remember this one time we were both at home and we were sitting on the bed and she started teaching me this little song. Yeah. Do you remember it? I do. Would you do a little bit? Of course. I am what God says I am and I can be what God says I'll be and I can be all that God says I can be. That's beautiful. Thank you. What a moment, David, sitting with Izzy on that porch listening to him sing. His grandmother Ajica's mom has co founded a foundation in her daughter's honor which provides healing and financial support to families impacted by racial violence. And as for Susan Lawrence, she agreed to speak to 2020, but the prison would not allow her to do the interview. She's appealing her conviction. That's our program for tonight. Thank you for watching. I'm David Muir. And I'm Deborah Roberts. From all of us here at 2020 and ABC News, good night. This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. You chose to hit play on this podcast today. Smart Choice. Make another smart choice with Auto Quote Explorer to compare rates from multiple car insurance companies all at once. Try it at progressive.com, progressive Casualty Insurance Company and AFF. Not available in all states or situations. Prices vary based on how you buy.