Jury selection commenced on Monday in the trial of Susan Lorincz, the Florida woman accused of fatally shooting her neighbor, Ajike “AJ” Owens, a Black mother of four, in 2023 following a disagreement with Owens’ children.

Anthony Thomas, the attorney representing the family of Ajike Owens, told
in a statement on Monday that two of Owens’ four children will be called by prosecutors to testify during the trial.

“Sadly, we can confirm that they will be called to testify. This is an incredibly difficult time for them, as they continue to cope with the profound emotional pain of losing their mother in such a violent way. And witnessing her murder. Izzy was right next to her when the bullet hit his mother," Thomas said, adding that Isaac, 13, and Izzy (Israel), 10, are "determined to testify" on their mother's behalf "despite their grief."

“They are doing this because of their immense love and respect for her, understanding that their voices are essential in seeking justice," Thomas said. "They grasp the seriousness of this moment and want to make sure that their mother's death is not in vain.”

Judge Robert W. Hodges of the Florida Fifth Judicial Circuit, presiding over the case, read the jury instructions. He informed them they wouldn't be filmed and asked them to return Tuesday morning. The trial is expected to conclude by Friday.

"This case is expected to last only a week. It will likely wrap up by Friday, if not sooner," Hodges said Monday morning.

Lorincz was present for jury selection and has maintained her innocence, pleading not guilty to the charge of first-degree felony manslaughter.

The charges

Susan Lorincz, who is white, was arrested on June 6, 2023, and charged with first-degree felony manslaughter , which carries a potential sentence of up to 30 years in prison if convicted, according to the Marion County Sheriff's Office. She also faced charges of culpable negligence, battery, and two counts of assault, but these lesser charges have been dropped, court records show.

Lorincz pleaded not guilty on July 10, 2023 . She was held on a $150,000 bond and has remained in custody since her arrest last year. Lorincz’s attorney, Amanda Sizemore, previously declined to comment on the charge her client is facing and did not immediately return a request for comment from
ahead of the trial.

Over the past year, Owens' family has repeatedly urged prosecutors to elevate the charge against Lorincz to second-degree murder. However, Florida State Attorney William "Bill" Gladson stated in a June 26, 2023, statement that there was insufficient evidence to support a murder charge in court.

"While the defendant's actions in this case were reprehensible, there is insufficient evidence to prove the specific and required element of second-degree murder," Gladson stated.

What the video shows

A statement from the Marion County Sheriff's Office on June 6, 2023, indicated that Lorincz allegedly shot Owens through a closed door in the presence of her 10-year-old son. This incident followed an argument between Owens and Lorincz regarding Owens' children playing near her home.

Prior to Lorincz's trial, the Marion County Sheriff's Office released video footage on June 10, 2024, of Lorincz's two-hour interrogation , which took place four days after the fatal shooting.

Lorincz told detectives in her interview that she shot Owens in self-defense.

"She threatened to kill me," Lorincz alleged in the video.

"None of the individuals we've interviewed have mentioned her saying she wanted to kill you," one of the detectives informed Lorincz.

Body camera footage released on July 3, 2023, by the Marion County Sheriff's Office showed seven incidents between Feb. 25, 2022, and April 25, 2023, in which Lorincz called sheriff's deputies to complain about neighborhood children, including Owens' children, playing near her home.

The body camera recordings also reveal a child stating to sheriff's deputies that Lorincz had used a racial slur against the children in the neighborhood and another child accusing Lorincz of being "racist."

During questioning, Lorincz repeatedly denied using racial slurs against Owens and her children on the evening of the shooting, but according to a police report, Lorincz admitted to calling children in the neighborhood using a racial slur and other offensive language in the past.

"I do not have a comment at this time," Sizemore told
on July 3, 2023, when asked to comment about the release of the body camera footage and the allegation that Lorincz called the children the "N-word."

Owens’ family also urged Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody and the U.S. Department of Justice in July 2023 to reexamine the case and consider if the shooting constituted a hate crime .

' Davi Merchan contributed to this report.