- 17 hours ago
20/20 - Season 2026 Episode 12 -
The Neighbor From Hell
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The Neighbor From Hell
#film#shows#usa#usashows#hot#filmhot
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FunTranscript
00:00:16Why is she recording now?
00:00:18It's just it.
00:00:19It's like, I've never dealt with people like this in my life.
00:00:25Hey, hey, hey, light up, light up.
00:00:27It's kind of like, oh, my God, these people are hooligans.
00:00:459-1-1 with the emergency.
00:00:47Oh, my God, this lady just tried to break down my door.
00:00:51I shot through the door.
00:00:54Oh, my God.
00:00:55OK, what is your name?
00:00:56Oh, my God.
00:00:57Here's a woman.
00:00:58I was trying to go to my house.
00:01:00I didn't know what to do.
00:01:01I grabbed my gun and I shot at the door.
00:01:03She was like, I'm going to get me.
00:01:06Did you know her?
00:01:08Yes.
00:01:08She's come after me several times because of her children.
00:01:11Her children keep trespassing over here.
00:01:13They're bothering me and bothering me.
00:01:14They won't stop.
00:01:18Somebody got to die.
00:01:19OK, just stay on the phone with me.
00:01:21Thanks.
00:01:21OK, bye.
00:01:24Right here, right here, right here.
00:01:27Who has the gun?
00:01:28Bravo, choice of Mary's building.
00:01:29One Mary in primary.
00:01:33Hold on.
00:01:35Oh, God.
00:01:38Everybody back in the street, in the street.
00:01:41Everybody off the property, onto the roadway.
00:01:44There is still someone with a gun.
00:01:45She's inside.
00:01:46Where?
00:01:46That apartment.
00:01:47In the front, in the front.
00:01:49Sheriff's office, come outside.
00:01:51Your hands up.
00:02:02This neighborhood is called Quail Run.
00:02:05It's very small.
00:02:06It's just these two streets.
00:02:09Very family friendly.
00:02:10Lots of kids.
00:02:15That's somebody's puppy.
00:02:18Go.
00:02:20Go back.
00:02:22Don't follow us.
00:02:24That's a new puppy.
00:02:27So after school, you know, homework.
00:02:30Kids change out of their clothes.
00:02:31They come out here.
00:02:32They play.
00:02:33Go in for dinner.
00:02:34Come back out and play until it's time for bed.
00:02:38Almost every day, we'd get a knock on our door.
00:02:41Say, can you play?
00:02:42Can you play?
00:02:44You can come hoop with us.
00:02:47We would take walks, run around, and we used to play football.
00:02:52We did a lot of stuff.
00:02:53Normal kid things.
00:02:56You see the children outside playing, enjoying themselves, just being carefree.
00:03:05We were a close-knit neighborhood.
00:03:08Moms knew each other because all the kids were at the bus stop together at 6, you know,
00:03:13something in the morning.
00:03:14So we all knew whose child belonged to who.
00:03:17All the children would come over to my house because my house was directly across from the
00:03:22field.
00:03:22So, you know, we were just a family neighborhood.
00:03:35The vibe in this close little community shifts after Susan Lawrence, a new neighbor, moves
00:03:41in.
00:03:42Susan Lawrence was involved in her church.
00:03:45She sang in the choir.
00:03:46She worked from home.
00:03:48She had two cats.
00:03:50She was somebody who probably just wanted to be left alone.
00:03:54And this is my apartment here.
00:03:56When they're all here in the front, it's really, we can hear, it's loud, it's noisy, kids are
00:04:00out there.
00:04:01They're kids.
00:04:01Yeah.
00:04:01She just did not enjoy having kids around.
00:04:04Noise, proximity, just them being in her space.
00:04:09They're trespassing.
00:04:10They're trespassing.
00:04:11I told them, I'm here.
00:04:13I'm working.
00:04:14And kids don't care.
00:04:16She always wanted to argue with the kids, but she never wanted to talk to none of us
00:04:19adults.
00:04:20None of us.
00:04:21But it was like an ongoing situation.
00:04:25It seemed like Susan's main beef was with the children of the woman across the street,
00:04:30Ajika Owens.
00:04:31By all accounts to the neighbors, she was the ideal mom.
00:04:37She had four children, four beautiful, highly intelligent, very well-loved children.
00:04:44Ashika was very strong-willed.
00:04:47She had a mind of her own always, but in a good way.
00:04:51And I think that kind of transcended down to her children as well.
00:04:56She was a manager for McDonald's for many years, and she was also being groomed to be a GM.
00:05:05And at what point were you aware that she had a neighbor whom she found difficult?
00:05:09So she would tell me that there was a neighbor that was just basically harassing the children.
00:05:15My daughter told me that Susan had called the police.
00:05:20What's your call for?
00:05:21I called because the lady across the street on the phone hit me with a sign.
00:05:26Her children were walking their dog on the property.
00:05:28Louie says, no trespassing.
00:05:30And then she just got in my face and shook the sign through that room.
00:05:35Hit me now.
00:05:36There was a run-in between the two.
00:05:39Susan claims that A.J. went over to Susan's house, picked up a no trespassing sign, and threw it at
00:05:46Susan.
00:05:47Do you know of her?
00:05:49No.
00:05:50I know her children because they're always over here, always screaming, yelling, playing games, doing this.
00:05:55Oh, my gosh, I'm pleased I work from home.
00:05:57You know, I sell insurance.
00:05:59I'm very quiet.
00:06:00I don't bother anyone.
00:06:01So I don't understand the attitude.
00:06:03There was an initial confrontation dating back to February of 2022.
00:06:09She shouldn't have removed the signing, but it's the landlord sign.
00:06:12One thing about A.J. is she doesn't play about her kids.
00:06:15So I knew that she would nip it in the bud every time.
00:06:19I see that smirk on your face.
00:06:21You say, you already know?
00:06:23Does she call the police?
00:06:24Yeah.
00:06:25My daughter, she was actually keeping the peace because she was never the initiator.
00:06:29She did nothing wrong.
00:06:30You can't tell them, technically, if they're not in your personal, personal space, that
00:06:34they can't walk the dog or even throw their football over them.
00:06:38This was a case that boiled into something that I don't think anybody thought it would.
00:06:46Susan was like, do you see this sign?
00:06:48This is a no trespassing sign.
00:06:49Don't come over here.
00:06:50Get your ass off my property.
00:06:52I kept saying, step back, step back, step back.
00:06:55Let's go.
00:07:24Hello.
00:07:26Neighbor disputes in Marion County are pretty common.
00:07:30and frequently it is a situation where we're responding to that same location over and over again.
00:07:36I said, you kids are trespassing, and then she got real out, and I said, you need to take a
00:07:40step back.
00:07:42This field here is between where Susan used to live, and just across the way is where AJ used to
00:07:50live.
00:07:51Before Susan did move here, our kids were already playing in this field.
00:07:55There was never a problem from anybody that's ever lived out here.
00:08:00Susan believed that a portion of the field belonged to her, and she had the right to peace and quiet.
00:08:10I moved in first. AJ moved in maybe about a month after me, and then two, three months later, Susan
00:08:17moved in.
00:08:18First of all, before she moved there, this big open space right here, all the kids, they like to play
00:08:23kickball, football, in the space she moves in.
00:08:33The kids would play over there, and her apartment is over here, and she would literally antagonize these kids for
00:08:39no reason.
00:08:40She would come outside, move her truck from the other side, all the way to this part right here by
00:08:45the tree,
00:08:46and just lay on her horn for like 10 minutes at a time, just to aggravate the kids.
00:08:51You had one neighbor who didn't really like all the noise and all the fun.
00:08:55Yes, ma'am.
00:08:56What kinds of complaints did she make?
00:08:58She would come out, sticking up the middle finger.
00:09:10One time I was walking my dog, and he would always get loose somehow off the leash.
00:09:16He ran across the yard.
00:09:19I ran after him.
00:09:20She saw me, and she had this party horn, and she honked it.
00:09:26I got so scared.
00:09:27Were you in her yard?
00:09:28No, ma'am.
00:09:30We would play in the field, and we made sure we didn't go in her yard.
00:09:38And so I go over there.
00:09:39To the baby boy.
00:09:40This is my private property.
00:09:41They can't have the dog over here.
00:09:43I told her, first of all, you're not on your property.
00:09:45This side, you don't own it.
00:09:47I will say that that lady is always messing with people's kids.
00:09:50She's always...
00:09:50Her phone.
00:09:51Yeah.
00:09:51She's always trying to record the kids, and always talking crap.
00:09:56But I didn't see anything, so I can't see anything.
00:09:57Okay.
00:09:58It was like every other day she was coming out, bothering the kids, calling the cops.
00:10:02It was every other day.
00:10:03The picture was painted that Susan was a problem in the neighborhood, revolving around how she
00:10:10treated her neighbors, specifically children who played in the area.
00:10:13I'm like, your children are trespassing.
00:10:16I don't know if so much about it.
00:10:17They're trespassing.
00:10:18There's a trespassing sign.
00:10:19I've told them, please don't come here.
00:10:21I'm working.
00:10:22Bye, bye.
00:10:23And kids, I'm careful.
00:10:23She went and bought a little private property sign, and she stuck in the yard.
00:10:27So she had to sign, and she's basically like, ramming a sign in my face.
00:10:31So then when she went to pick it back up, I picked the sign up, and I threw the sign.
00:10:34I literally picked the sign up, and as I walked down, I threw the sign.
00:10:38I said, I can go and buy a sign, too.
00:10:39It still doesn't mean anything.
00:10:40And at that point, I guess she's already on the phone, and she, oh, I'm being attacked.
00:10:46Someone's attacking me.
00:10:47I'm literally in the street now, perceiving the something over here.
00:10:50Everybody's coming.
00:10:50Where, where, where is this happening?
00:10:52Right over here behind the mailbox.
00:10:54Okay.
00:10:54The deputies are forced to be in the middle of this neighborhood dispute over whether or
00:11:00not children should be allowed to play in their neighborhood.
00:11:02They're caught between Audraka Owens and Susan Lorenz.
00:11:08How's it going?
00:11:10I see it.
00:11:12It's another day.
00:11:13All right, well, just call me.
00:11:15Hey, ma'am.
00:11:15Yeah.
00:11:16Did you see anything?
00:11:17Yeah, she didn't touch that lady.
00:11:18She just took the thing out the ground, and that was it.
00:11:22What thing?
00:11:23The thing, the no trespassing thing.
00:11:25She didn't touch it.
00:11:26Susan was like, do you see this sign?
00:11:28This is a no trespassing sign.
00:11:30Don't come over here.
00:11:31Get your ass off my, get your ass off my property.
00:11:33And all she did was tell the lady to stop yelling at her kids out.
00:11:36Maybe yells at everybody's kids out here.
00:11:38Okay.
00:11:38Well, I mean, I wouldn't go over there anymore.
00:11:43Okay.
00:11:44So, since there's no trespass, so I'm fortunate that means...
00:11:49I'm kidding.
00:11:50I'm kidding.
00:11:51Can't go over there.
00:11:52That's fine.
00:11:53I mean, if this hurts, it hurts.
00:11:55But I mean...
00:11:55Did your daughter, AJ, ever talk about what Susan was calling the police about?
00:12:00Well, she was complaining about the children just playing in the field.
00:12:10Hello?
00:12:11Hi.
00:12:12Is this Miss Susan?
00:12:13Yes.
00:12:15Okay.
00:12:15Do you want to come outside and talk to me?
00:12:17Sure.
00:12:46Okay.
00:12:47Do you want to come outside of that property?
00:12:48Before I even made contact with her, I was already frustrated.
00:12:52There wasn't a reason for us to be out there for something that seemed so silly at the time.
00:12:58Well, like I said, unless they're on your property, then it's not really an issue.
00:13:05Yeah, but those kids, you know, they shouldn't be screaming and, you know, running around either.
00:13:13I'd rather kids be screaming because they're out here playing and have a good time than stealing cars and robbing
00:13:19people.
00:13:20So, if they're out here having a good time, they're having a good time.
00:13:24Ms. Susan was very frustrated with me.
00:13:26She was not happy with my answer.
00:13:28Why can't they play on their side?
00:13:30I don't know.
00:13:30I'm not them.
00:13:31I'm not their parent.
00:13:32Like I said, it's a big open lot.
00:13:34It's probably just nicer for them.
00:13:37I don't know what all you can actually hear on my body cam.
00:13:40I don't know how muffled it was.
00:13:41As I was walking away, she used some very choice words to call me.
00:13:46All right.
00:13:47Well, you have a good night.
00:13:48And so I looked at my partner and simultaneously was trying to turn my camera off.
00:13:54You off?
00:13:55Yeah.
00:13:56What the f***?
00:13:56I just didn't get my camera off in time.
00:14:02After being called to that neighborhood time and time again, deputies probably were like, here we go again.
00:14:08And the fact that there were no arrests irked Susan.
00:14:12I'm going with them.
00:14:14Susan went out and bought two guns.
00:14:17One day we were playing in the yard, and then she had showed, it looked like a rifle out the
00:14:22window.
00:14:24Incredibly, Susan's anger toward these kids soon becomes downright hateful.
00:14:29She called us the N-word.
00:14:40You already hurt your phone.
00:14:41Is your body camera on?
00:14:43Of course.
00:14:44Did you do a little blinking red light?
00:14:45I already did hurt myself.
00:14:47Body cams are great for us because they show, matter of fact, what happened.
00:14:53There is no, well, I may have perceived it this way or that way.
00:14:57No, you see for certain exactly how it happened.
00:15:00Number three.
00:15:02I think one or two on that side.
00:15:04This is my body cam.
00:15:05You've got your camera, and then this is like your main button to start and stop it.
00:15:13And then up here, there's a screen.
00:15:17When it's on, it'll flash red.
00:15:40As we started to learn more about the ongoing issues in that neighborhood,
00:15:47we're seeing a pattern here of issues between these two neighbors, Susan Lorenz and Ajica Owens.
00:15:54Listen to me.
00:15:55Knock, knock, knock, knock.
00:15:56This mother comes over here.
00:15:57If you treat my son like that again, I'm going to rip your ass out and go beat you up.
00:16:02Excuse me?
00:16:03I don't know what he wants, like so.
00:16:04And I said, see that no trespassing sign?
00:16:07Get off my porch.
00:16:08And then, no, I'm not going to, I said, yeah, I'm falling with shelter and garden.
00:16:12I'm going to go talk to these kids.
00:16:16I'm Deputy Heckman.
00:16:18I just need to know whose mom, it was a boy, you went over there.
00:16:24That's Ajica there in the darkness.
00:16:26My kids were out here playing with them.
00:16:28Okay.
00:16:29And my oldest son, who called me on the cell phone, he's like, Mom, she's out here and she's in
00:16:33our face and she's yelling.
00:16:34What's going on, y'all?
00:16:35And I can hear her.
00:16:36The deputies are caught in the middle because they're the mediator between these two neighbors who have this dispute about
00:16:45something so minute, something so silly.
00:16:48Kids just being kids.
00:16:50That's not the use of law enforcement.
00:16:52There's no serious crime happening here.
00:16:55I'm tired of it.
00:16:56It is almost every single day.
00:16:59So, like, at the end of the day, somebody has to be the one to try and meet you halfway.
00:17:04Sure.
00:17:05That's what I was trying to do.
00:17:06And I was like, I just want to know what happened.
00:17:09He is disrespectful and he is rude and I'm a doctor and he has no means to talk to me
00:17:14like you.
00:17:14So, were you the guys that this lady was mad about?
00:17:18Yes, and I just want to say that every time, like, even if we're not...
00:17:21Hold on, hold on.
00:17:22Let's bring it down.
00:17:23Okay, I'm sorry.
00:17:23You're okay.
00:17:24Every time, even if we're not on our property and we're just, like, being loud and playing basketball over there
00:17:29because of a basketball group...
00:17:30Like, she just calls us names.
00:17:33The tensions are practically boiling over and the kids in the neighborhood are giving police
00:17:38a firsthand account of Susan's verbal attacks and threats against them.
00:17:44What kind of names is she calling you?
00:17:46She called us retards.
00:17:49Retards, the B word.
00:17:50The B word.
00:17:51The P word.
00:17:52Everywhere in the book.
00:17:52Like, one time we were...
00:17:54Well, the kids were playing right there and it was his dad outside and then she came...
00:17:58Your dad?
00:17:58Cowboy?
00:17:59Yeah, my dad.
00:17:59She came out yelling and she was talking about a little girl getting raped and stuff.
00:18:02Like, she's crazy.
00:18:03Like, she'll come out...
00:18:04All of them said, like, you literally approached him in, like, an aggressive manner.
00:18:07He's like, this big, this big, and he's not.
00:18:10Right.
00:18:11No, I did not.
00:18:12He walked up to me and get the hell off my property and he's a little disrespectful little bastard.
00:18:17So, then at that point, I'm pissed off.
00:18:18Sure.
00:18:19So, I'm walking up and I said, okay, I was trying to come over here and resolve with you,
00:18:22but I told you what, the next time you walk up with my kids, you're going to have to take
00:18:25it up with me.
00:18:26Okay.
00:18:27Oh, now you're threatening me?
00:18:29I'm calling the police.
00:18:30Literally.
00:18:31I never even got face-to-face contact with her because she never opened the door.
00:18:36Okay.
00:18:37Ajaka is being harassed by this woman.
00:18:40Her children are being harassed.
00:18:42Other children are being harassed.
00:18:43And Susan Lawrence is the only person that calls the police.
00:18:47I think that says a lot about who feels like the police are supposed to protect them.
00:18:54I think the deputies were tired of responding to that neighborhood.
00:18:58Y'all have a good evening.
00:19:00Yeah.
00:19:04Psycho.
00:19:14So, you can even see their frustration going out over and over again with these claims
00:19:20of trespassing that were simply unwarranted.
00:19:279-1-1, what is your emergency?
00:19:30I've got some kids who are just trespassing.
00:19:32This little kid is trying to put a dog in my truck.
00:19:35Benaiah, get over there.
00:19:38What color is it?
00:19:39You guys chasing a dog or trying to put a dog into a car or something?
00:19:42No.
00:19:42The Karen called.
00:19:45The Karen called.
00:19:46Yes.
00:19:46Ajaka said all the children would call her the Karen.
00:19:50And she flicked me off.
00:19:51She flicked them off because this is public space.
00:19:53No, no, no.
00:19:54The children would be in the body cam and they would say things to law enforcement.
00:19:58Like, yeah, the lady across the street, she's always calling us bad names and she's harassing us.
00:20:03One time I was riding the bike in her parking lot and she called me a slave.
00:20:09A slave?
00:20:10A slave.
00:20:11The neighbor said that to you?
00:20:13She did.
00:20:14She tells us stuff.
00:20:16And she called us the N-word?
00:20:18She used to call us the N-word with the R.
00:20:22Just the names saying we're going to get raped if we be in her yard.
00:20:25Wait, right here.
00:20:26Ajaka would tell me that there was a neighbor that was calling them all sorts of names, racial slurs.
00:20:34What kind of an impact did that have on your daughter?
00:20:37Because as a black parent, you try to shield your children from that kind of thing.
00:20:43And now to have to have that conversation with them about race.
00:20:47Yes.
00:20:48So my daughter, Ajaka, always wanted them to know that they're not what this person is calling them.
00:20:55You know, to have pride in themselves.
00:20:58Yeah, that's why we see.
00:20:59She's coming out here.
00:21:00She's coming out here.
00:21:02I'm going to go talk to her.
00:21:05See, every time I walk past, she thinks we're trying to steal her truck or buy her truck.
00:21:11How old are you?
00:21:13We're 11.
00:21:14Okay, yeah.
00:21:19Hello, how are you?
00:21:21Good.
00:21:21Is it Susan?
00:21:22Yes.
00:21:22Okay, what's going on?
00:21:24The kids live across the street.
00:21:26Ken has little buddies.
00:21:27They're over here.
00:21:28They're stepping on the sides and stuff.
00:21:29He brings out a puppy.
00:21:30He wants to put his puppy in my truck.
00:21:34I'm going to go for that.
00:21:35In the bed of your truck?
00:21:36Yeah.
00:21:36Who?
00:21:36Uh, this little child who posed for me because he thought he was being so bloated cute.
00:21:45That little child.
00:21:46That child she's pointing to in the photo is Ajaka's son, Izzy.
00:21:52Yeah, how did it affect your mom?
00:21:53How upset was she about all of this?
00:21:56It was over the top because coming home after a long day of work just to hear your kids complain
00:22:02about a lady who's bothering you, not exactly the type who would take it easily.
00:22:11She's saying he was trying to put the dog in the back of the truck.
00:22:14Yeah.
00:22:16In the back of the truck.
00:22:18Do you think he could even lift that dog?
00:22:20That dog is bigger than you.
00:22:22The portal is bigger than you.
00:22:23Okay.
00:22:24Literally.
00:22:29All of us live out here.
00:22:31Nobody else is complaining.
00:22:32Nobody else.
00:22:33She's the only one.
00:22:44You just don't fathom that it would turn into what it turned into.
00:22:51Hello?
00:22:53What's that?
00:22:53Hey, I think somebody got shot.
00:22:55Yes, there's mine.
00:22:57643 Mary and I'm 97.
00:22:58I have one down.
00:22:59I have one elderly female barricaded into the house with a signal zero.
00:23:13Typical day.
00:23:14It was a gorgeous day to be out.
00:23:17The kids were in their first full week out of school, just like other kids around central Florida.
00:23:23They had their whole summer ahead of them.
00:23:26It seemed like a regular, normal day.
00:23:29The kids were playing.
00:23:30We were all doing what we normally did.
00:23:34There were kids playing in the yard, as most kids do on a summer night on a Friday.
00:23:41Susan Lorenz had a problem with children being what she considered was too close to her apartment building.
00:23:47She says caused her to stress.
00:23:50It caused her to not be able to sleep.
00:23:53She woke up from a nap because she says she was not feeling well.
00:23:57She heard the kids playing.
00:24:00Just us being loud, playing in the yard, probably while she was trying to, like, rest or something.
00:24:05We were kids at the time.
00:24:06What kids do in a big yard that they see the play in.
00:24:09The kids have another encounter with Susan Lorenz.
00:24:14One of Adjika Owens' children had left an iPad and needed to retrieve the iPad from Susan Lorenz.
00:24:22And could not get it from her.
00:24:26One of the kids left his iPad, and so he went over to get it, and they said that she
00:24:31was throwing roller skates at him.
00:24:33According to the kids who were there and witnessed it, Susan's verbal attacks turned physical.
00:24:40So I was outside playing basketball, and I just see a pair of roller skates flying at Izzy.
00:24:47There was an issue with roller skates, and she says that she grabbed the roller skates and threw them, told
00:24:53them to pick up your stuff and go home.
00:24:57So me and Izzy went over there, and then she came out with the umbrella and started swinging it and
00:25:05called us a Jack, A-S-S.
00:25:08And then she slurped us.
00:25:12Susan said that one of Ms. Owens' children came to her apartment, and they had exchanged words, to which the
00:25:23child told Susan that,
00:25:25I'm going to go tell my mom.
00:25:27Susan told him to go get his mother.
00:25:30And of course, any child who's having, you know, a problem with an adult is going to inform their parents.
00:25:37And so that's exactly what happened.
00:25:40They went back to their home, and they got their mother.
00:25:44Her son tells her, this is what happened.
00:25:48She took my tablet.
00:25:49She threw a skate at me.
00:25:53Susan Lawrence called 911 just before 9 o'clock, saying that there were kids being too loud and too noisy.
00:26:01911, what is the address of the emergency?
00:26:03I am a call taker and a dispatcher for the Marion County Fire Rescue.
00:26:08I took Susan Lorenza's first 911 call.
00:26:11And tell me exactly what happened.
00:26:13They're leaving all the toys around.
00:26:15They're just dreaming, you know, just being absolutely obnoxious.
00:26:19When I first answered the phone, she was talking about a noise complaint for the children.
00:26:24They're just bashing me and bashing me.
00:26:26I'm just sick of these children.
00:26:28Now that they're home from school, it's like, you know, craziness.
00:26:34And then changed it to, like, a trespass so that they were not allowed to be at that location.
00:26:39Yeah, several kids out there right now.
00:26:40I'm cheering for my life.
00:26:42I'm very scared.
00:26:43They have no business over there.
00:26:44There's no trespasses involved.
00:26:46Anytime we have a disturbance call, we have to tell them to separate themselves and to keep themselves in a
00:26:52safe location.
00:26:53All right, do you want you to avoid that person and then keep your doors and windows locked?
00:26:58An officer will be dispatched as soon as possible.
00:27:01As soon as I had the address, the phone number, and the problem, I had the call sent over immediately.
00:27:08Okay, thanks.
00:27:08All right, bye-bye.
00:27:09Bye-bye.
00:27:10A.J. Owens walked over to Susan's house and wanted to have a discussion, a dialogue, a conversation with Susan.
00:27:18From everything that we gathered during our investigation, at least one of her children was in a proximity of a
00:27:25few feet of their mother.
00:27:27And while Susan was inside of her apartment alone, she initially heard a barrage of banging on her door.
00:27:38And all of a sudden, I heard what I thought was her banging on the wall.
00:27:45And I heard it twice.
00:27:47And I mean, I swear I could see my wall shaking.
00:27:49She got two sets of knocks, and she got one, two, three.
00:27:52And then she got the one, two, three, which was louder.
00:27:55And that's when she said, come outside, bitch.
00:28:01And the next thing I knew, I heard a pop.
00:28:04And people screaming.
00:28:06And I heard it, gosh, that's how I just ran inside.
00:28:07All I could hear is screams.
00:28:09The gun went off, and it's over.
00:28:12And that's when I told all the kids, get back, get back.
00:28:14Because I didn't know if the lady was still going to be shooting or what.
00:28:17There is still someone with a gun.
00:28:19Come in front, in front.
00:28:21Show me your hands!
00:28:41On the night of the incident, I was responding to Quail Run
00:28:44and reference a trespassing call of children playing in a field
00:28:49near the home of the caller, which was Susan Lorenz.
00:28:58We were a few minutes out.
00:29:01We get an updated call advising that there had been a shooting.
00:29:05I heard what to me sounded like a gunshot.
00:29:09Somebody got shot.
00:29:10His mom got shot.
00:29:11I think somebody just got shot.
00:29:1664 on the ground.
00:29:17Do they know who the shooter is and where they're at?
00:29:21Susan Lorenz fired one shot through the door.
00:29:26It hit AJ through the chest under the armpit.
00:29:31There is terror.
00:29:33Children have seen their mother get shot.
00:29:36AJ was really upset.
00:29:38She wants to have a conversation.
00:29:39Correct.
00:29:40And instead, she gets a bullet.
00:29:43One of AJ's sons was with her and saw the shooting.
00:29:47AJ walked back from Susan's house and told her son to call 911 before she collapsed.
00:29:55I cannot imagine for Izzy to be standing there next to his mom
00:30:02and a gunshot pierces the door and hits his mom.
00:30:08I cannot imagine what that had to be like for him.
00:30:13He told me that he heard her say,
00:30:17call the police, call 911.
00:30:18I've been shot.
00:30:21One of her sons is then running frantically to a neighbor's home trying to get help for his mother.
00:30:31So I was cooking dinner for my kids.
00:30:33All the kids were playing outside in the field.
00:30:35And I got this big bang on my door while I was serving their plates.
00:30:38And it was, it was loud.
00:30:43My kids looked out the window and they was like,
00:30:46Isaac's outside, mom.
00:30:47So I opened the door and he was really frantic.
00:30:50He was like so frantic he couldn't breathe.
00:31:01I came outside and I ran across the field and she was just laying there.
00:31:06And it was just, it was a lot.
00:31:10Isaac, the oldest, comes just through here screaming, hollering.
00:31:15They shot my mom.
00:31:16They shot my mom.
00:31:17I'm scrambling like this can't be true.
00:31:19I don't understand.
00:31:20He takes me by the hand and leads me to his mother's body over in the field.
00:31:25I was in disbelief.
00:31:27There's probably 14 people standing on this side of the street.
00:31:32And she's alone on the ground.
00:31:33And I, I just, I couldn't do anything but try and help her.
00:31:37And then I started CPR.
00:31:39Susan was inside her house.
00:31:41She did not come outside her house.
00:31:43But after that shooting, she had called 911 again.
00:31:47911, the address of the emergency.
00:31:50Oh my God, this lady just tried to break down my door.
00:31:53I shot through the door.
00:31:56I didn't know what to do.
00:31:57I grabbed my gun.
00:31:58I was sitting up at Cracker Barrel and just kind of eating my dinner out in the parking lot.
00:32:04And I had heard them dispatching a shooting, tossing my food in the passenger seat and cutting the lights.
00:32:11And I'm heading out at the speed of light as fast as I can to get to Quail Run, which
00:32:15fortunately is only a few blocks away.
00:32:19We need to get over here and make sure whoever has the gun is secured.
00:32:25We need to get over here and we don't know where the shooter's at.
00:32:27We're sick to take it.
00:32:28Okay.
00:32:30It's like the second 911 call from Susan.
00:32:33Susan was very frantic.
00:32:34Take a deep breath on it.
00:32:36Calm down.
00:32:37Oh my God.
00:32:38You said someone's trying to break down your door.
00:32:40Is that correct?
00:32:41Yes.
00:32:42Yes.
00:32:42The woman was screaming and yelling and she was trying to break down my door.
00:32:46We get to the neighborhood and as we pull up right here by the mailboxes.
00:32:50Right here.
00:32:51Right here.
00:32:51Right here.
00:32:54When we arrived, we seen the victim laying on the ground.
00:32:59And the community had gathered around and was trying to help her.
00:33:03She's got pollen.
00:33:04She said she's got pollen.
00:33:05Very fine.
00:33:06Very fine.
00:33:06Right side of the chest.
00:33:08Okay.
00:33:09There's no exit.
00:33:10That night when I walked over here and I saw AJ and they were doing CPR on her.
00:33:16Oh my God.
00:33:17I don't know.
00:33:18I just had this really bad feeling.
00:33:20Right here.
00:33:21Right here.
00:33:22She was on the ground right here.
00:33:23There was a group of people around.
00:33:25They were worked up.
00:33:27They were upset.
00:33:28They were crying.
00:33:29They were trying to help her out medically however they could.
00:33:33As I'm responding, I'm hearing my radio.
00:33:36They're talking about how the shooting has occurred.
00:33:39There's one female victim who is on the ground.
00:33:44I need to make sure I grab my trauma bag.
00:33:47I need to make sure I have my gloves and I have all of my items I need to be
00:33:52able to
00:33:53assist her the best I can.
00:33:55She stated she's shot through the door.
00:33:57Okay.
00:33:58Where is your gun now?
00:34:00It's safe.
00:34:01It's in my bedroom.
00:34:02So I made sure I put that in a call immediately so I can let the deputies know where they're
00:34:06going to walk into.
00:34:08There is still someone with a gun.
00:34:09She's inside.
00:34:10Okay.
00:34:11Where?
00:34:12Hands off.
00:34:13Hands off.
00:34:14Hands off.
00:34:15Hands off.
00:34:16You're inside.
00:34:17Make it known now.
00:34:17Hands off.
00:34:27Hands off.
00:34:27Hands off.
00:34:27Hands off.
00:34:27Hands off.
00:34:276403 Marion.
00:34:28I'm 97.
00:34:29I have one down.
00:34:29I have one elderly female barricaded into the house with a signal zero.
00:34:32There is still someone with a gun.
00:34:34She's inside.
00:34:35Okay.
00:34:36Where?
00:34:38Where?
00:34:39She's in the house, bro.
00:34:40That apartment.
00:34:41Right here.
00:34:42This apartment.
00:34:44I need, like, a 14 out of 40 degrees.
00:34:47Baby, wake up.
00:34:48Baby, wake up.
00:34:50Baby, wake up.
00:34:52Wake up.
00:34:52Wake up.
00:34:53Wake up.
00:34:53And I asked, hey, where is the person with the gun?
00:34:56And I was directed by the group to go over here.
00:34:58Hey, they're in that apartment.
00:35:03And if you watch the body cam back, you can see.
00:35:06I'm in front.
00:35:07I'm in front.
00:35:07I had come over to the fence and we began giving commands.
00:35:11Sheriff's office!
00:35:12Come outside with your hands up!
00:35:14Where are you going from?
00:35:16Is the Marion County Sheriff's office?
00:35:17Come outside with your hands up!
00:35:25Show me your hands!
00:35:26Show me your hands!
00:35:27Turn around!
00:35:28Turn around!
00:35:30Where's your gun at?
00:35:33I don't know what's going on.
00:35:34You're going to be detained for now.
00:35:35Is there anybody else in the house?
00:35:36Is there somebody else in the house?
00:35:38Can I just get my mother?
00:35:39Nope.
00:35:40No.
00:35:40Not right now.
00:35:41You're not under arrest.
00:35:42You're being detained.
00:35:43Okay.
00:35:45She was calm and she asked me, hey, can you shut the door?
00:35:49Don't let the cats out.
00:35:50Oh, wait.
00:35:51Who's going to lose the door?
00:35:52I have two cats inside.
00:35:52One of the cats.
00:35:54Females detained.
00:35:55Newt and Maddox.
00:35:561018.
00:35:57And she comes out with this confused look on her face as if she doesn't know why they wanted
00:36:03her to come out of her home.
00:36:05Come this way.
00:36:06No, no.
00:36:06Come on.
00:36:07Okay.
00:36:08We will worry about that in a minute.
00:36:09Right now I got other things to worry about.
00:36:11Okay.
00:36:13Get over there and assess her.
00:36:14I will bring the bag over.
00:36:15Hey, I got to sit here in the back here.
00:36:18Go assess the person down.
00:36:21Okay.
00:36:21You're just sitting there.
00:36:22Thanks.
00:36:24Hey, I need someone to give her aid.
00:36:26Right there.
00:36:26She needs medical aid.
00:36:27Over there.
00:36:28All right.
00:36:28Sit inside.
00:36:29I need you all the way inside.
00:36:30I need help though.
00:36:31Okay.
00:36:32I need you to hurry though, okay?
00:36:33I understand you need help.
00:36:36She's got Paula.
00:36:38She's got Paula.
00:36:39Very fine.
00:36:39Very fine.
00:36:40When I find Miss Owens under the tree, she's unresponsive.
00:36:44She's not talking.
00:36:48She's got a gunshot wound to her right shoulder area.
00:36:51They've been doing CPR for about five minutes.
00:36:56It's like no one could move fast enough.
00:37:01I think there was so much shock and horror at what had just happened.
00:37:09Take a step back because they're going to try to pick her up.
00:37:20And I think we're all just praying it's not too late.
00:37:26How do you get word?
00:37:28Isaac, my grandson, called me.
00:37:30He's just screaming, yelling, saying that mom's been shot, mom's been shot.
00:37:39I'm going to use the rope to talk.
00:37:41Yeah, that's why he's grabbing tape right now.
00:37:42Murphy, get some tape.
00:37:56Where's Izzy?
00:37:57Hey, Izzy.
00:37:59Hi, Izzy.
00:38:00Come here, buddy.
00:38:01Hey.
00:38:04So right now she's going to the hospital so that way they can take better care of her
00:38:07than what I can do right here, okay?
00:38:09My son's the same age.
00:38:11And so just hearing her baby, you know, I imagine what my son would feel like.
00:38:16What if that was me?
00:38:18What if he was crying for me?
00:38:19And it hurts.
00:38:21You're being so strong.
00:38:23Very proud of you.
00:38:43It was approximately 15, 20 minutes later when we got notified that she had passed away.
00:39:11It was rough.
00:39:12The older kids, we had to break it to them and they had their dad there at the time.
00:39:22Y'all love me?
00:39:24Okay.
00:39:25Y'all love mom?
00:39:27All right.
00:39:28Well, I got some bad news to tell you.
00:39:30What?
00:39:31Mom, it's not coming back yet anymore.
00:39:34Come on.
00:39:35Come, come, come, come.
00:39:36No.
00:39:37No, no.
00:39:38Come here.
00:39:39Come over here.
00:39:40Listen to me.
00:39:41No.
00:39:43No, no.
00:39:43I know.
00:39:44Okay.
00:39:45It's okay.
00:39:46I know.
00:39:47It's okay.
00:39:48I know.
00:39:49I'm sorry.
00:39:51I'm sorry.
00:39:54I'm so sorry.
00:39:58I'm sorry.
00:39:59I'm sorry.
00:40:00I'm so sorry.
00:40:00He can't go home.
00:40:04I think that you hope that these kids understand that we did everything that there was that
00:40:10we could do on that night.
00:40:15I just remember myself screaming.
00:40:16I could hear myself now screaming.
00:40:19Why?
00:40:27I'm told over the phone that my daughter has been killed.
00:40:35I cried.
00:40:37I screamed.
00:40:38I screamed.
00:40:40Hello?
00:40:42Why did you...
00:40:43Because she was threatening me.
00:40:45Based on the circumstances at the scene...
00:40:47Susan, go ahead and step out for me.
00:40:49I felt it was best to have Susan transported to the major crimes building where we can conduct
00:40:57an interview.
00:40:58And then you don't have to sit straight forward.
00:41:00You can sit sideways.
00:41:01My daughter was killed.
00:41:03No problem.
00:41:03Someone shot her.
00:41:05Someone needed to be held accountable.
00:41:21Hello.
00:41:22What you called for?
00:41:23I called because the lady crossed the street on the phone.
00:41:25It was the perfect storm brewing.
00:41:27Her children were walking their doors on the property.
00:41:30That she called the police officer.
00:41:31Yeah.
00:41:32But I don't know that anyone knew that it would end.
00:41:36Does the Maine County Sheriff's Office come outside with your hands up?
00:41:39With Ajaka Owen shot dead.
00:41:41Take a step back because they're going to try to take her up.
00:41:42On the street in her own neighborhood.
00:41:44Mom is not coming back yet anymore.
00:41:46Because Susan Lorenz shot a gun through her front door.
00:41:53Ajaka was the type of person that always showed up.
00:41:57No matter what she had going on, she made a way to be present.
00:42:03She signed us up for football.
00:42:07And she would be the one buying the snacks and getting all the water.
00:42:11And she would even make us run if we dropped a pass or missed a tackle.
00:42:15When I think about her, I think about her smile.
00:42:17That's the first thing I think about.
00:42:19She had this big smile.
00:42:22Her personality would just fill up the space.
00:42:27We would often chit-chat over the phone and talk about her different dreams and aspirations.
00:42:32She said, you just wait and see.
00:42:34The world is going to know my name.
00:42:55Hi.
00:42:55I'm sorry, I'm just sitting here because I was freezing.
00:42:57Oh, it is chilly, isn't it?
00:42:59Susan?
00:43:00Yes.
00:43:00I'm Detective Stitt.
00:43:02This is Detective Peterson.
00:43:05Investigators take Susan Lorenz down to headquarters to question her about what had happened.
00:43:11Can we just get you to slide that chair right over here in just a moment?
00:43:15I'm sorry to keep you waiting so long.
00:43:16I was the lead investigator on the Susan Lorenz, Ajaka Owens homicide case.
00:43:22So I wanted to be in the room to speak with Susan about what happened.
00:43:27So we're working this investigation, and at this point you are not free to leave, so I have to make
00:43:34you aware of your rights, okay, before we talk.
00:43:37So I have to read this to you.
00:43:39You have the right to remain silent.
00:43:41Anything you say can and will be is against you in a court of law.
00:43:44You have the right to talk to you.
00:43:44During the first interview, Susan denied any allegations that were made by either children or witnesses on scene.
00:43:51There was some statements given to us that you had taken a tablet or picked up a tablet that was
00:43:59in the underground.
00:44:00No, absolutely not.
00:44:01No.
00:44:01And what was the deal with the roller skates?
00:44:04Because, again, we talked to a lot of people who were outside and witnessed some of this.
00:44:08They keep leaving all their toys around.
00:44:10I'm like, guys, you know, stop already.
00:44:12This is not your garbage yard.
00:44:13You know, and the kid's got his roller skates there.
00:44:16And I'm like, really?
00:44:16Take your roller skates.
00:44:17I threw him the roller skates.
00:44:18I'm like, go fetch him.
00:44:20You know, it won't just be enough.
00:44:22Because...
00:44:22Did you throw that at them?
00:44:23Oh, God, no.
00:44:24Okay.
00:44:25We're trying to determine, is Susan embellishing the details to make it appear like she's the victim?
00:44:30When in reality, her anger and even fear got the best of her.
00:44:36So you were communicating with her through the door?
00:44:39Yeah.
00:44:39And I'm like, all right, just leave.
00:44:40You know, I don't want to hear it now.
00:44:42I'll kill you.
00:44:43I'll kill you.
00:44:44I didn't think too much of it until she really started pounding that door.
00:44:47And I'm like, oh, my God.
00:44:48Then I really, I got scared.
00:44:50Like, terrified scared.
00:44:51I don't even actually remember picking up the bed.
00:44:53I just remember shooting.
00:44:58At that point, I felt important to reveal to her that Miss Owens had passed away from a gunshot wound.
00:45:06I mean, we got to kind of get specific about this because it's pretty, it's a big deal.
00:45:10I understand that.
00:45:11Someone's dead.
00:45:13Oh, Jesus Christ.
00:45:18She never seemed to consider the status of Miss Owens until it was revealed that she had passed.
00:45:25It was only because she was pounding at my door.
00:45:29And I, honest to God, thought she was going to come in.
00:45:33I was just fearful of my life.
00:45:36And I was just like, go away.
00:45:38Go away.
00:45:38That's all I could think of was just get out of the situation, you know, and just go away already.
00:45:43And, um...
00:45:44But when you fire through a door that's closed, was it locked?
00:45:47Yes, it was locked.
00:45:50In that moment, that night, that door was shut, locked, deadbolted.
00:45:56What we're looking at is the front door of Susan Loren's apartment that she shot through the night that Miss
00:46:03Owens was killed.
00:46:04The bullet hole is marked here.
00:46:07I did have the deadbolt on, so I didn't know how long the door was going to open.
00:46:10See, and that's why I'm asking is because at first it's broken and now it's super secure with an extra
00:46:14-long deadbolt.
00:46:15No, I'm just saying that we did put the, but if you look at it, everything's crumbling.
00:46:22Susan indicated during our interviews that there had been prior damage to her door.
00:46:28And based off of that, she had the landlord install what she described as an extra-long deadbolt.
00:46:37Her claim of self-defense became complicated, particularly when we all learned that she had shot and killed Ajaka Owens
00:46:47through a locked door.
00:46:49After you fired the round, what did you do?
00:46:53She said, Alan, I'm like, oh, my God, I hit her.
00:46:56And it just clicked.
00:46:58I hit her.
00:46:59Oh, Jesus Christ.
00:47:00And I thought I'd just, you know, make something.
00:47:03Never, ever.
00:47:04And what did, what did you, did you go out there?
00:47:06No.
00:47:07You didn't go out there?
00:47:08No.
00:47:11Susan maintained that her intention was to scare Ms. Owens away, that she just wanted the banging to stop.
00:47:19Were you trying to hit her or were you trying to scare her off?
00:47:25I was never intending to hit her.
00:47:27I just thought, you know, I thought I hit really high.
00:47:31You know, I was just like.
00:47:34All I could think is go away, go away, go away, go away.
00:47:37Were you aiming for the door?
00:47:41I was, I just, I just fired the gun.
00:47:45Because all I could think of is, it's, I felt like I was in mortal danger.
00:47:49I mean, it's just how I felt.
00:47:53The interesting thing about the state of Florida is that we have this stand your ground law.
00:47:58Good evening.
00:47:59And we begin with the growing anger across this country over the shooting death of that unarmed teenager, Trayvon Martin.
00:48:04In Florida, they have a law called the stand your ground law.
00:48:07In most states, you're required to retreat.
00:48:10If someone comes after you, you don't have the right to shoot someone on the street if you feel that
00:48:15you're in danger.
00:48:15In Florida, you do have that right.
00:48:18Members of the jury, have you reached a verdict?
00:48:20That has been very controversial.
00:48:22It's been used successfully by a lot of people in a court of law.
00:48:26We, the jury, find George Zimmerman not guilty.
00:48:31Susan, give me just a minute.
00:48:33Okay.
00:48:36As things start to wrap up, you get a sense that maybe now she's going to be hauled off to
00:48:44the Marion County Jail to be held accountable for what has happened.
00:48:51Susan.
00:48:55I talked to the state attorney, the prosecutor for the state attorney's office.
00:49:01They are along the same lines of what we're thinking.
00:49:04We're going to continue the investigation.
00:49:06Knowing that there were so many things that still had unanswered questions and unresolved evidence gathering, we made the choice
00:49:16to release Susan.
00:49:17We'll go out this door here.
00:49:19And in the end, she just gets to walk out of the room as though none of it had ever
00:49:26happened.
00:49:29What world are we living in that a mother was just killed in front of her children through a closed
00:49:35locked door and she's not arrested?
00:49:37We'll just have a seat in the back.
00:49:39I'll turn the AC up and we'll get out of here.
00:49:40All right.
00:49:50Every day, Susan Lorenz was allowed to roam free in that community.
00:49:56The outrage.
00:49:57Make your life easier.
00:49:59Are you kidding me?
00:50:00The demand for justice.
00:50:02Many people today protested.
00:50:04The mother has lost her life.
00:50:06Continued to build.
00:50:07And I'm going to tell you something.
00:50:08It was going to explode.
00:50:10No justice.
00:50:11No peace.
00:50:12No justice.
00:50:13No peace.
00:50:15No peace.
00:50:18All right.
00:50:19We're going out this door right here on the right.
00:50:29So I spoke with Detective Stith.
00:50:32I guess you've talked to him already today.
00:50:35He said that you're going to gather some belongings and go to a hotel.
00:50:39Is that correct?
00:50:41Yes.
00:50:42They handcuffed her and put her in the back of the cop car.
00:50:44So everybody thought she was being arrested and come to find out she wasn't arrested.
00:50:50I was in disbelief.
00:50:52I was.
00:50:53I didn't understand.
00:50:54I thought from the start that it was murder.
00:50:57There was never a question in my mind.
00:50:59Will I be able to go in my apartment or no?
00:51:02I'm sorry?
00:51:03Will I be able to go in my apartment or no?
00:51:04Because I need to pick a medication.
00:51:06Yeah.
00:51:07I think Detective Stith is going to allow you to gather some belongings.
00:51:13Okay.
00:51:24She was here getting her stuff.
00:51:26And that's when everything just broke out with like all the neighbors.
00:51:29All the neighbors were upset.
00:51:30Everybody was mad.
00:51:31Susan relocates to a hotel after the shooting.
00:51:35She comes back to her apartment from time to time with police.
00:51:38Most of us were home when Susan came home to get some of her belongings and things like that.
00:51:44Hey Gaby.
00:51:45Come here.
00:51:48What's my mind?
00:51:49Days go by and this woman who had shot and killed her neighbor isn't arrested.
00:51:56No.
00:51:56No.
00:51:56She isn't arrested.
00:51:57This neighborhood was really, really upset and up in the arms.
00:52:00Yes, yes.
00:52:00Enraged.
00:52:01They're screaming over there.
00:52:03She's talking over there.
00:52:04I know.
00:52:04I hear them.
00:52:05Yeah, I know.
00:52:06Take that little boy the way you treat her cat.
00:52:08I'm going to go talk to them.
00:52:09Can you all stay over there?
00:52:10Okay.
00:52:11I'm freaking out.
00:52:12It's my son.
00:52:13Just don't talk to them.
00:52:15She came out here and she was getting her stuff.
00:52:18And I was inside and I looked and I saw her out the window and I came outside and I
00:52:24was so mad.
00:52:25Like, I was so mad.
00:52:27Hey ma'am.
00:52:28How are you doing?
00:52:30So, I'm just going to talk to you real quick.
00:52:31I know you're upset, okay?
00:52:33Everybody's upset.
00:52:34I'm going to be honest.
00:52:34She's going to end up in jail so it don't matter.
00:52:35But everybody's upset.
00:52:37Listen, I'm going to be honest with you.
00:52:38I'm here.
00:52:38She shouldn't even be in the streets.
00:52:40She murdered this lady.
00:52:41Okay, listen.
00:52:42I'm going to be honest with you.
00:52:42I'm here because she called me.
00:52:44I'm...
00:52:45She...
00:52:46Because she knows better than to be out here alone.
00:52:48That's why she got people with her.
00:52:50Okay.
00:52:50Because she knows.
00:52:51She actually came with a police escort.
00:52:53She was able to get done what she needed to get done, but it was difficult for other
00:52:56people to see.
00:53:03Hey, what are you doing right now?
00:53:06Can you come to Susan's house?
00:53:09Old neighborhood's coming out and they're going slightly verbal.
00:53:13I'm good?
00:53:14Yeah.
00:53:19Watch out.
00:53:24Could have been any of us that would have went and knocked on that door that night.
00:53:27So everybody was upset.
00:53:28She literally killed this innocent woman.
00:53:31And the next day after she murdered her, she's walking around freely.
00:53:35It's not right.
00:53:38I was familiar with Stand Your Ground and at that point was, um, afraid that their delay
00:53:48in her arrest, um, had to do with Stand Your Ground.
00:53:53Um, and I knew we needed immediate legal support and representation.
00:53:57We'd like to thank every single person who's present with us today.
00:54:03My name is Anthony Thomas.
00:54:04I'm an attorney for the family.
00:54:07I, as well as attorney, attorney Benjamin Crump, are working very closely with the family
00:54:12so that we can bring justice to the unlawful killing of a black mother of four who was shot
00:54:17through the door on Friday evening.
00:54:21And we wanted her story to be told and let people, you know, the world know what happened to her.
00:54:27I just want to thank everybody for coming out for my mother.
00:54:42What I'm asking is for justice.
00:54:46Justice for my daughter, Ajita Chantrell Owens.
00:54:51Justice for your family, for your children, for your loved ones.
00:54:56Justice for America.
00:55:00Because we want to seek justice and we want to assure that we get the facts right,
00:55:04especially in a case to this level, we just don't take always one side.
00:55:09Because it doesn't always paint the full picture.
00:55:12The sheriff of Marion County, actually, Billy Woods,
00:55:15told me that he was going to do everything within his power to investigate the situation.
00:55:20That's not enough.
00:55:21It's his job to investigate the situation.
00:55:24What I wanted to hear from Billy Woods was that he was going to make an arrest.
00:55:27Many people today protested the lack of an arrest in the shooting of Ajita Owens.
00:55:32No justice!
00:55:33No peace!
00:55:34Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods has said that he cannot make an arrest
00:55:37while the Sheriff's Department investigates whether this meets the criteria of Florida Stand Your Ground Law.
00:55:43More than 75 people came to downtown Ocala to demand an arrest,
00:55:47marching all the way to the state attorney's office.
00:55:53A mother has lost her life for being a mother.
00:55:58Where is the justice in that?
00:56:01No peace!
00:56:01As I've explained to the people that I've been talking to, there's evidence that's being gathered.
00:56:06There are things that are being looked at.
00:56:08There are warrants that are being executed.
00:56:09She's supposed to be in jail.
00:56:11So it's supposed to...
00:56:11It's important to wait for the evidence to come back.
00:56:14We understand that process, sir, but why isn't she in jail?
00:56:16Why this process?
00:56:17Because if it was us, you could put me in jail while y'all doing this process.
00:56:21I felt that they just saw her just as another black life.
00:56:27And that because she was black, that maybe there wasn't the urgency to make an arrest.
00:56:36I felt that had the roles been reversed, in my opinion, that there would have been an immediate arrest.
00:56:46The standard of the law of self-defense in Florida applies to everyone.
00:56:51We follow the evidence and we take as long as it takes to get the facts right.
00:56:58What did that mean to you to have people come in and to advocate on your behalf?
00:57:04It told me that people understood the atrocity of this.
00:57:11It showed that people still care.
00:57:17People want justice.
00:57:20We're here to fight and show you that our life mattered.
00:57:25And that justice needs to be served and it will be served as long as we all have breath in
00:57:30our bodies.
00:57:33Okay, let's just help me answer.
00:57:34Susan was taken in for questioning a second time, four days after the initial shooting.
00:57:39Have you ever heard of the term stand your ground?
00:57:40Yes.
00:57:41Susan, I think you know the reason why I'm asking that question.
00:57:45You're smart, okay?
00:57:46And the reason is...
00:57:48Oh, hell no.
00:57:48No.
00:57:49Absolutely.
00:57:50I know what you're thinking.
00:57:58Nice to meet you.
00:57:59Okay.
00:58:00Well, they get to my dishes.
00:58:01Nice.
00:58:04This is Detective Ryan Stith.
00:58:06Be attentive to make phone contact with the suspect, Susan Lorenz.
00:58:13Hello?
00:58:14Hi, this is Detective Stith with the Sheriff's Office.
00:58:18Yes.
00:58:19Is this Susan?
00:58:20Yes, it is.
00:58:21My supervisor said that we have some additional questions.
00:58:26I was wondering if you'd be available.
00:58:28Susan has been walking around freely, but detectives are still investigating, talking to nearly everybody in the neighborhood.
00:58:36And then, they want to talk to Susan again.
00:58:43Irving's just as cold in here, I promise.
00:58:44I do.
00:58:45All right.
00:58:45Okay, let's just help him answer.
00:58:52They eventually question her a second time.
00:58:55Susan tries to repeat the same story that she'd given him.
00:58:58She took the role of the victim that she was, you know, afraid for her life.
00:59:02Same thing.
00:59:03Bring me to that moment when you had the gun in your hand.
00:59:06What were you thinking?
00:59:08All I wanted her was to go away.
00:59:10I just, you know, I felt she was going to come through that door and kill me.
00:59:13I'm sorry, that's what I felt.
00:59:14I just felt she was going to come through the door and kill me.
00:59:17Okay.
00:59:17It was a tremendous fear.
00:59:21Did you feel bad for what happened?
00:59:22Oh, Christ, yes.
00:59:24This wasn't just violence.
00:59:25This was racialized violence.
00:59:28Susan had a history of using racial epithets.
00:59:32What kind of things was she saying that you called her kids?
00:59:36That I called them racial slurs, that I called them slaves, and that's never happened.
00:59:41I did call them retards once, because they just kept coming and coming.
00:59:45I said, are you retarded?
00:59:46You can't read the sign.
00:59:48Is there any reason why anybody would have any video or anything like that of you saying, like, the N
00:59:54-word?
00:59:55I have no idea.
00:59:56And if I did let it go, I'm sorry.
00:59:59It slipped out.
01:00:00What context would it slip out, do you think?
01:00:02I mean, what would happen for you to say something like that?
01:00:05If they were being extraordinarily rude or if they were just...
01:00:09I was always taught the N-word meant that you were just being unlawful, you know, dirty, just, I don't
01:00:18know, generally not being pleasant.
01:00:20Okay.
01:00:22I'm just trying to figure out who's sitting in front of me here.
01:00:25Is it over here?
01:00:26I've been planning this.
01:00:28I picked up the gun and I was waiting for her to come over, because it was very quick.
01:00:32It was two minutes.
01:00:33Or it was, I had the gun in my hand and I made a mistake.
01:00:38Susan had already made the first 911 call about the kids trespassing.
01:00:42And then within two and a half minutes after, she called 911 to report that she had fired through her
01:00:49door.
01:00:49You had just disconnected.
01:00:52Within two minutes, a shot was fired through that door.
01:00:55There's no way to justify that.
01:00:59This wasn't a long siege.
01:01:00It wasn't a castle siege.
01:01:01It didn't last for 20, 30 minutes.
01:01:03It was two minutes.
01:01:05So you're trying to tell us that a reasonable person would shoot somebody for less than two minutes of making
01:01:12statements.
01:01:12Outside, that doesn't make any sense.
01:01:16Being afraid of Ajaka and therefore feeling like she needed to purchase a gun.
01:01:20Now, is that a gun that you've had for years or you just had it for a couple of weeks?
01:01:24Help me understand that.
01:01:24No, over a year.
01:01:25Okay, over a year.
01:01:26I used to be terrified before.
01:01:28Uh-huh.
01:01:28And then a friend said, you know, you really can't defend yourself.
01:01:32And he said, you should think about getting a gun.
01:01:34Susan had two firearms by her own admission.
01:01:37When she went to her bedroom to retrieve a firearm, she actually had to move a second firearm, a Ruger
01:01:4522 handgun, out of the way to retrieve her Remington 380.
01:01:50You said that you used the 380, right?
01:01:53Yeah.
01:01:53When you fired the gun?
01:01:54Okay.
01:01:54Is there any reason why you chose that gun inside the other one? They were both loaded, right?
01:01:59They were both loaded. I was just the one that picked up.
01:02:02Making the choice to, of the two guns that she had available, to use the more powerful gun.
01:02:08I grabbed the gun, I was shaking like a leaf, and the more she bowed in, the more she screamed.
01:02:12I was like, stop, stop, stop. Go away. Move away. She wouldn't move away.
01:02:16And finally, I'm gonna kill you. And that was the last time, and I just fired the weapon.
01:02:20Okay. Was there a spot you picked or something like that?
01:02:22I just kind of, there was the door. I knew she was at the door. I shoved.
01:02:30I have not learned of her ever saying to you that she wanted to get into the house.
01:02:36It sounded more like she wanted to talk to you outside of the house.
01:02:39How do you want to talk to you outside of the house when you're banging and screaming?
01:02:43Yeah. That's not reasonable.
01:02:43One of the people said that she said, come outside.
01:02:46That's not, I'm sorry. Come out.
01:02:47That's not what?
01:02:48It's not reasonable and prudent.
01:02:50One of the things that I recognized almost immediately as soon as she said it,
01:02:53was some of the terms that she was using to describe the incident.
01:02:57You had mentioned terminology like reasonable and prudent.
01:03:03Where did that come from, that terminology?
01:03:06Watching TV.
01:03:07Watching TV? Okay.
01:03:09Probably just crime shows and stuff.
01:03:11It turns out she was very familiar with the Stand Your Ground law.
01:03:14She had been researching it.
01:03:15Have you ever heard of the term Stand Your Ground?
01:03:17Yes.
01:03:18Have you ever done any kind of research on that?
01:03:20Yes, when it was mentioned on some guy shop.
01:03:25Someone at a convenience store, and they said Stand Your Ground law.
01:03:29No.
01:03:29So nothing recent that would be on like your internet browser history?
01:03:33No, I look up tons of stuff.
01:03:35Well, Susan, I think you know the reason why I'm asking that question.
01:03:39You're smart, okay?
01:03:40And the reason is...
01:03:42Oh, hell no.
01:03:43No.
01:03:43Absolutely.
01:03:44I know what you're thinking.
01:03:45Did I look up the laws so I could do something?
01:03:47No.
01:03:48This is not a situation where you set something up to...
01:03:53No.
01:03:53You're tired of the situation that that put you in?
01:03:55No.
01:03:56Okay.
01:03:56Sorry, no.
01:03:59I've told a lot of people that they're going to jail for very serious crime.
01:04:02But I was still kind of stunned by Susan's response.
01:04:07Stand up.
01:04:07Don't touch me.
01:04:08Susan.
01:04:09Stand up, Susan.
01:04:09No, don't.
01:04:10No.
01:04:10Listen.
01:04:11It can go one of two ways.
01:04:12It can go an easy way or it can go a really hard way.
01:04:14I'm sorry.
01:04:26Was your goal to shoot and kill her?
01:04:28No.
01:04:28What was your goal?
01:04:30To shoot and hopefully, you know, she'd hear the shot and just fake.
01:04:34I...
01:04:34I just...
01:04:35I'm having a really hard time making this jump here that this unarmed person on the other
01:04:40side of the wall, um, is somehow gonna get into your house and kill you.
01:04:47I'm just really having a hard time getting there.
01:04:49The detectives keep telling her, well, you've gotta help us.
01:04:54understand what happened here.
01:04:57Why were you in fear for your life?
01:04:59Why did you feel threatened?
01:05:01Do you feel like you did something wrong here?
01:05:04I...
01:05:04I did what I felt I had to.
01:05:06I honestly thought that she was gonna kill me.
01:05:08I mean, that's all I felt.
01:05:09I just felt that terror.
01:05:11I mean, it was sheer terror.
01:05:13And Susan Lorenz can't really quite articulate that outside of these allegations that Ajaka Owens
01:05:22was making these threats toward her through this locked front door and banging on the door.
01:05:28I can't get to the point where pounding on the door leads to your... leads to you being hurt or
01:05:34killed.
01:05:35I... I don't... I can't get...
01:05:36Because I thought she was gonna break the door down.
01:05:38Ajaka Owens wasn't strong enough to knock that door down.
01:05:41The door was locked.
01:05:43She wasn't getting in there.
01:05:46Many people who were questioned the night of the shooting have said we did not hear AJ threaten Susan.
01:05:52No one that we've interviewed so far has made any statements about her saying that she wanted to kill you.
01:05:57Um...
01:05:58That's what I heard.
01:05:59All I heard was knocking and then a gunshot. That's it. No fighting, none of that.
01:06:03When she's knocking on the door, did you hear anything else said other than those words?
01:06:06Nah, nothing else was said.
01:06:07Is it possible she never threatened you at all?
01:06:10I swear to God, I thought she said, I'm going to kill you.
01:06:13I mean, that's why I just panicked.
01:06:15As soon as those words came out of her mouth, I was like, Jesus Christ, she's gonna kill me.
01:06:19No one else in the neighborhood heard those threats that night other than Susan.
01:06:24And it's Susan's word against the other witnesses.
01:06:28And it's really a case of who do you believe more?
01:06:32She has four kids and I can't let you talk to them.
01:06:35But I would like, it's up to you if you would like to write them a letter or something to
01:06:40kind of, you know,
01:06:44whatever's on your mind or in your heart.
01:06:45You don't have to. We're just going to leave a notepad and a pen in the room.
01:06:52I am so sorry for your loss. I never meant to kill your mother.
01:06:57I was terrified your mom was going to kill me.
01:07:03I shot out of fear.
01:07:09The decision was made that Susan was going to be charged with manslaughter.
01:07:14Susan? All right. We're going to have you deal with this deputy here.
01:07:19No.
01:07:20I'm sorry?
01:07:21No.
01:07:21No what?
01:07:22I can't.
01:07:23What's wrong? What's going on?
01:07:24I just can't. I'm sorry, I can't do this.
01:07:28Unfortunately, we're to that point where that's what's going to happen.
01:07:32She couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe it. She thought that, you know, everything was just going to go her
01:07:37way.
01:07:38OK, so you're going to go with this deputy.
01:07:40No, I'm not.
01:07:40You're going to be booked in.
01:07:41No, I'm not.
01:07:43And fingerprinted.
01:07:44No.
01:07:45I'm not going to move. Sorry.
01:07:48She very matter-of-factly and politely declined to go to jail.
01:07:54Susan, we are going. There's no change in that now. You're under arrest. In fact, we'd probably go ahead and
01:08:02put handcuffs on her.
01:08:03Let's get her handcuffed.
01:08:05Come on, Susan, stand up.
01:08:05Stand up.
01:08:05Don't touch me.
01:08:06Susan.
01:08:07Stand up, Susan.
01:08:08No, no.
01:08:08Listen.
01:08:09It can go one of two ways. It can go an easy way or it can go a really hard
01:08:12way.
01:08:12I'm sorry.
01:08:13We don't want it to go the hard way.
01:08:14I just can't do this. I'm sorry.
01:08:17So what are you planning on sitting here the rest of the night?
01:08:20I don't know what I'm going to do. We're probably going to die of a heart attack.
01:08:23Well, like I said, they have medical staff over there. We want to be able to get you over there.
01:08:26I had never seen or heard anything like that during an interview.
01:08:31Susan, this is what's going to happen. We're going to put you in handcuffs. And if we have to forcefully
01:08:37bring you out there, that's what we have to do.
01:08:38Because we are obligated to take you to the jail now, OK?
01:08:42Thank you for standing up.
01:08:42I just...
01:08:43I understand that.
01:08:44So, change about your back for me.
01:08:54Thank you, Susan.
01:08:55I didn't do this on purpose. This wasn't a purposeful act. I did not premeditated. I didn't do anything like
01:09:00that. This was ridiculous.
01:09:08We're going to go out this way.
01:09:10Thanks.
01:09:17Four days after the shooting, Susan is finally arrested.
01:09:20Because the people spoke. I think that when we brought the attention to the situation, law enforcement had no other
01:09:33recourse but to arrest Susan at that point.
01:09:37Tonight was a pivotal moment with the arrest of the perpetrator who shot and tragically killed my daughter.
01:09:45Now to Florida to the 58-year-old neighbor accused of shooting and killing a young mother of four.
01:09:50Tonight, that suspect appearing for the judge, listed as a suicide risk, forced to wear a green vest, now charged
01:09:57with manslaughter.
01:09:58Good morning, ma'am. What is your name?
01:10:00Susan Lorenz.
01:10:01Today, the state attorney officially charged Susan Lorenz with manslaughter, saying he must follow the law, not family sentiment.
01:10:08State attorney William Gladson announced today a second degree murder charge was considered, but felt the state couldn't prove without
01:10:15a reasonable doubt that Lorenz had hatred, spite, ill will, or evil intent towards Owens.
01:10:21The state attorney decided not to press a murder charge, but instead manslaughter.
01:10:28Understanding the law, I knew why. If they can't prove the higher charge, then the person may walk. They may
01:10:34go free.
01:10:35I felt that the manslaughter charge against Susan was a slap in the face.
01:10:42I felt that it was murder, but at this point, I'm just happy that there are charges. At least there's
01:10:50charges.
01:10:56A year later, all eyes are on Ocala, Florida.
01:11:00Everyone was watching. Everyone was watching the outcome of the trial against Susan Lorenz.
01:11:09I had grave concerns. We have a jury, all white. I didn't know. I did know.
01:11:28Right now, we're going to turn to the manslaughter trial of the Florida woman accused of fatally shooting her neighbor.
01:11:33That one ready to go? Yes, sir. Yes, sir.
01:11:35Let's bring the jurors back, please.
01:11:37Oh, it was huge. The trial was huge.
01:11:43Report's now in session. Your Honorable Robert W. Hodges presiding.
01:11:46I'll see you later, babe.
01:11:49Seeing Susan for the first time, can I just let my facial expression speak?
01:11:58We were extremely scared when we ended up with an all-white jury.
01:12:06You know, the politics of this place are extremely conservative.
01:12:10Did you go into the trial concerned about whether there would be a conviction or were you hopeful?
01:12:16By the time the trial had started, Susan had began to age a little bit.
01:12:20When she shot my daughter, she was a strong, healthy woman.
01:12:27I was afraid that they were going to see her as this elderly, frail, white woman that was afraid for
01:12:35her life.
01:12:36This morning, the trial underway for the Florida woman accused of shooting a gun through her front door, killing her
01:12:43neighbor.
01:12:46I'm Deputy Michael Stranger.
01:12:48Deputy Erin Barbosa.
01:12:49My name is Ashton Wolfenberg, and I'm a deputy with the Marion County Sheriff's Office.
01:12:53I'm trying to be photographed 58 of States 1.
01:12:56This is a firearm.
01:13:00Did you conduct a second interview with the defendant?
01:13:03Yes, sir, I did.
01:13:03The jury gets to see Susan's explanations, those tapes with the police, and they get to hear from the neighbors.
01:13:12Please introduce yourself to the jury.
01:13:13My name is Franklin Weiss.
01:13:15My name is Yvonne Costa.
01:13:16I heard a lot of pounding, a lot of yelling, screaming, and then I heard a gunshot.
01:13:24At any time, did you ever hear Isaac and Izzy's mom say, I'm going to kill you?
01:13:32Yes, sir.
01:13:36Ms. Lawrence, have you discussed with your attorneys the decision regarding whether or not he will testify or not?
01:13:43Yes, I have.
01:13:44Can you tell us what that decision is?
01:13:46I am not going to testify.
01:13:49In her mind, in her mind, in her soul, in her core, Susan Lawrence felt she had no choice, no
01:13:58choice at all, but to fire that door.
01:14:09In closing arguments, the defense lawyers give jurors a dozen reasons to find Susan Lawrence not guilty.
01:14:19She's not guilty.
01:14:21She's not guilty.
01:14:21But prosecutors argue it comes down to one question.
01:14:25The crux of this case, ladies and gentlemen, is whether at the time she fired her gun at that closed,
01:14:32locked, deadbolted door,
01:14:34or did she reasonably believe that her conduct was necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm against her?
01:14:42Ladies and gentlemen, both the state and the defense have now arrested their cases.
01:14:46All rise.
01:14:48When word came back that there was a verdict, I think you sensed anxiety, tension, concern.
01:14:57Would this community that had been demanding justice for Ajaka Owens finally get it in this Ocala courtroom?
01:15:05Now, it's my understanding you have reached a verdict in this case, is that correct?
01:15:08We were all clenching each other's hands so tightly.
01:15:13Verdict as account one.
01:15:15We, the jury, find as account one of the charge.
01:15:19The defendant is guilty of manslaughter.
01:15:21So say we all updated the 16th day of August, 2024.
01:15:27Oh, God, thank you, Jesus.
01:15:31Literally, I had to hold Pam.
01:15:34Like, she wasn't walking.
01:15:35She couldn't even step.
01:15:37Like, I was holding her out the courtroom.
01:15:40And she let out this huge, like, just cry into my chest.
01:15:47I thought that a guilty verdict was going to make me feel better.
01:15:53It almost had the opposite effect.
01:15:56It didn't make me feel good.
01:15:57It validated what I already knew.
01:16:02That my daughter's life should never have been taken.
01:16:11Ms. Lawrence, you're going to be held in custody of the Marion County Jail without bond until that time, okay?
01:16:17Thank you, and good luck to you.
01:16:31I was there the day she was sentenced because I knew how deeply important it was for this community.
01:16:38I never had a problem with a black person in my life.
01:16:41This is not about race.
01:16:44And I actually love children.
01:16:46The shooting was based, I find, more on anger than fear.
01:16:50I think that's pretty well established in this case.
01:16:55So, what I'm going to do in this case is order, is assuming adjudicated guilty of manslaughter with a firearm.
01:17:02Order served 25 years in Department of Corrections.
01:17:11The day after Susan's sentencing, I emailed her defense attorney and said, I want to do an interview with her.
01:17:19If you allow, there are some questions I think need to be answered.
01:17:22She said, I'm willing to speak with you.
01:17:25I want my story out there.
01:17:28Walk me back through your initial reaction when they said, guilty.
01:17:33The shock.
01:17:35It was just absolute shock.
01:17:37Knowing how badly she had treated me, she would scream at me and be extraordinarily nasty.
01:17:48If you had an opportunity to speak to AJ's kids, would you be open to talk to them?
01:17:53Yes.
01:17:55I would.
01:17:56And say what?
01:17:58Just that I'm sorry and I wish things had turned out differently and I understand their pain.
01:18:04It's horrible to lose, you know, someone you love so much.
01:18:09There was a conviction, but there are four children.
01:18:13Four children who don't have their mom.
01:18:15How are you finding the strength to sort of keep pushing forward and doing well with everything happening?
01:18:34That neighborhood will forever be known as a neighborhood where Susan lived and AJ died.
01:18:40And I would probably like people to remember, too, that's also the neighborhood where AJ lived.
01:18:48This is a little memorial that Africa made.
01:18:55This is Ashika.
01:18:57If you see right here, it looks like watermarks, but it's actually Africa's tears.
01:19:05This is when Ashika was pregnant with Isaac.
01:19:10He's the one that made her a mom, that changed her life.
01:19:17Happy birthday, dear Africa.
01:19:23Happy birthday to you.
01:19:27It's Africa's first birthday friend.
01:19:30Can I please have a moment?
01:19:35A.J.'s mom, on some level, got a sense of justice.
01:19:40There was a conviction.
01:19:41Yeah.
01:19:42But there are four children.
01:19:45Izzy, Isaac, Africa, Titus.
01:19:49Four children who don't have their mom.
01:19:51I believe every day they wake up wishing that their mom was there.
01:19:55Every day.
01:19:57You know, we still think of them.
01:20:00I do.
01:20:01I think of them a lot.
01:20:04How are they doing right now?
01:20:07Time has passed, but the grief and the hurt has not passed.
01:20:16How do you want people to remember AJ?
01:20:19She is, she was the embodiment, the epitome of what a mother should be.
01:20:30Life wasn't easy for her always.
01:20:36But she did it with grace.
01:20:41How hard has it been?
01:20:44It's been very hard.
01:20:46I just can't believe she's gone, you know.
01:20:51I've been rocking my fire since I was born.
01:20:54You're rocking your fire.
01:20:56I just got to be the strong man she raised me to be.
01:21:01What are your memories of your mom?
01:21:04I remember this one time.
01:21:06We were both at home and we were sitting on the bed.
01:21:12And she started teaching me this little song.
01:21:14Yeah.
01:21:15Do you remember it?
01:21:16I do.
01:21:16Would you do a little bit?
01:21:18Of course.
01:21:21I am what God says I am.
01:21:27And I can be what God says I'll be.
01:21:32And I can be all that God says I can be.
01:21:42That's beautiful.
01:21:47What a moment, David, sitting with Izzy on that porch listening to him sing.
01:21:51His grandmother, Ajaka's mom, has co-founded a foundation in her daughter's honor,
01:21:56which provides healing and financial support to families impacted by racial violence.
01:22:01And as for Susan Lawrence, she agreed to speak to 2020,
01:22:04but the prison would not allow her to do the interview.
01:22:07She's appealing her conviction.
01:22:08That's our program for tonight.
01:22:10I'm David Muir.
01:22:11And I'm Deborah Roberts.
01:22:12From all of us here at 2020 and ABC News.
01:22:15Good night.
01:22:42Good night.
01:22:44Good night.
01:22:44Good night.
01:22:44Good night.
01:22:44You
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