Marion County 2023 murder prompts continued calls for change, Netflix documentary

Yahoo

2 days ago

A call for change continues, exactly two years after a Marion County mother was killed by her neighbor in front of her young children.
It was the end of an ongoing, racially charged feud between Susan Lorincz and Ajike 'AJ' Owens. Today, Owens' mother shared with me her motivation to change a state law and what she needs from the public right now.
The past two years have been the hardest, toughest journey I've ever been on. It's been filled with grief, sadness, despair," said Pamela Dias, the mother of Owens.
If you look at the young children left behind, you'll understand why.
Two years ago, Pamela Dias was taking care of her four young grandkids - 3, 7, 9, and 12 years old - after their mother, Ajike 'AJ' Owens, was shot and killed just outside their Ocala home.
Her killer, Susan Lorincz, wasn't initially arrested because she relied on the state's Stand Your Ground Law, which lets gun owners shoot in self-defense if they believe their life is in immediate danger.
Now, Dias is on a mission to overturn the state's longstanding law. This task has never succeeded before, despite the highly publicized murder of Trayvon Martin in Sanford in 2012, which triggered nationwide protests.
'Never use the word never. There's always hope. And it'll just take those who are against it, those who want to stand for the right thing, to come together and unite. And if we do that, we can make a real change.'
Dias is raising revenue to fight the law through her Standing in the Gap Fund, created in response to the death of her daughter.
Dias also shared that it's a financial resource for families across the country who have been affected by race-based violence.
Lorincz is now serving out a 25-year sentence for manslaughter, a punishment that was never considered acceptable for the life these children lost and the ongoing trauma they manage daily.
'Four children lost their mother because someone who was a racist decided to shoot through a locked metal door. That's unacceptable. We need real changes,' said Dias.
Owens' story is the subject of a Netflix documentary, set to debut in the fall.
They're also hoping that global attention will aid their push to repeal the state's Stand Your Ground Law.
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