Florida deadly shooting, 'stand your ground' laws spotlighted in new Netflix documentary
The Brief
A documentary coming to Netflix later this year focuses on the "stand your ground" laws through the lens of an Ocala shooting.
The documentary, titled "The Perfect Neighbor," tells the story of Ajike "A.J." Owens, who was shot and killed in 2023 by her neighbor, Susan Lorincz, who has since been sentenced to prison.
The film is directed by Emmy Award-winning Geeta Gandbhir and spotlights the minor neighborhood dispute that escalated into deadly violence.
OCALA, Fla. - A documentary coming to Netflix later this year focuses on the "stand your ground" laws through the lens of an Ocala shooting.
The documentary, titled "The Perfect Neighbor," tells the story of Ajike "A.J." Owens, who was allegedly shot and killed in 2023 by her neighbor, Susan Lorincz, who has since been sentenced to prison.
After a jury found Lorincz guilty of manslaughter in August 2024, she was then sentenced to 25 years in prison for the deadly shooting.
What they're saying
"The Perfect Neighbor" is directed by Emmy Award-winning Geeta Gandbhir and spotlights the minor neighborhood dispute that escalated into deadly violence. The film uses police bodycam footage and interviews to explore the impact of stand your ground laws.
The documentary premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Directing Award: U.S. Documentary category. It was also an official selection at SXSW, CPH:DOX and the Miami Film Festival, according to a news release.
"The Perfect Neighbor is a deeply personal project, created to transform grief into purpose and honor the lasting legacy of Ajike Owens and her family," Gandbhir said. "My team at Message Pictures, along with our incredible partners at S'OB Productions and Park Pictures, are thrilled the film will be available on Netflix, offering audiences worldwide the chance to experience this urgent and powerful story."
Netflix has not yet announced an official release date for the documentary's release.
What we know
Lorincz was convicted in August of killing Owens, 35, by firing a single shot from her .380-caliber handgun in June 2023. Although she had faced a maximum of 30 years behind bars,during sentencing a judge opted for a slightly lesser term. She was sentenced to 25 years in prison in November 2024.
Lorincz read a statement in court that included an apology to Owens' family, something they said was merely a last-ditch attempt to save herself.
"I so wish I could go back and change things so she was still here," Lorincz said. "I never intended to kill anyone."
The family of Owens originally wanted Lorincz to be charged with second-degree murder. When she was convicted of manslaughter, they wanted the maximum sentence possible.
"The children are left for a lifetime of scars; not 10, 20, 30 years," said the victim's mother, Pamela Dias. "A lifetime of scars and trauma."
The backstory
On June 2, 2023, Lorincz called 911, complaining about kids who were playing in a field next to her apartment. Right before making the call, Lorincz had been videotaping the kids playing outside.
Witnesses said she threw roller skates at them and swung an umbrella toward them.
RELATED:Florida sheriff: Mom shot, killed by neighbor amid long-standing feud over her children
Lorincz told the 911 dispatcher the young children had threatened her, and she was scared for her life.
Owens went over to confront Lorincz at her unit. Her oldest son was one of the kids playing in the field, and he had told his mother about Lorincz's actions.
Several witnesses testified that Owens was banging on the door hard and yelling loudly and angrily.
Lorincz said she thought Owens was going to kill her, but she was standing inside her home with a door between them.
Instead of going into another room or calling the police again, Lorincz grabbed a gun from her bedroom and shot through the door – not knowing if anyone else was present or if Owens was armed.
Owens died from the gunshot wound.
One of Owens' sons was nearby and watched as she was shot and killed.
Dig deeper
No arrest was originally made in the case, as authorities said they were investigating whether the shooting was justified and protected under Florida's stand your ground law.
That law states that a person has the right to meet force with force if they believe it's necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm.
"Any time that we think or perceive or believe that that might come into play, we cannot make an arrest," Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said. "The law specifically says that, and what we have to rule out is whether the deadly force was justified or not before we can even make the arrest."
Along with Florida, Missouri, Texas, Georgia, Michigan and Pennsylvania also have stand-your-ground laws on the books, and there were a lot of questions over whether stand-your-ground applied in this case.
"It's a statutory enactment by our legislature that permits someone who feels they're in danger of death or great bodily harm or… the imminent commission of what's called a forcible felony to defend themselves, and they may utilize deadly force in doing so," said FOX 35 legal expert and defense attorney Bob Fisher.
Essentially, if one feels their life is in danger, one can fight back with deadly force.
"In addition to that, if you feel someone is about ready to engage in the commission, the imminent commission of what's called a forcible felony – not only a threat to yourself but an imminent commission of a forcible felony - you may likewise use deadly force to prevent that," Fisher explained.
In a case such as this one, where someone shoots through their front door, Fisher said, in some cases, it is permissible.
"If a resident or homeowner inside their home is in fear of the imminent commission of a forcible felony – if someone outside on their property without their permission or consents has, by way of example, threatened to break into their house and harm them – well that burglary, the unlawful entry without permission or consent with the intent to commit a crime therein is a forcible felony, and you may use deadly force to prevent the imminent commission of that forcible felony," he said.
Florida was the first in the nation in 2005 to adopt such a law.
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The Source
This story was written based on information gathered from previous reporting, court hearings, official arrest records, police reports and Netflix.
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