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The Perfect Neighbor traces a 2023 case that gripped Florida and drew national attention. The film follows events in Ocala after a neighborhood dispute ended with the shooting of Ajike “AJ” Owens outside a locked door.
The documentary uses bodycam video and recorded calls to piece together what led up to the gunfire and what followed. It also tracks how the case moved through the courts and why it stirred debate over self-defense laws.
Background of The Perfect Neighbor case
Neighbors and deputies had documented friction for years before the shooting. Police had been called multiple times since early 2021 over quarrels tied to children playing near Lorincz’s home.
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Witnesses said Lorincz often complained and reportedly hurled slurs at neighborhood kids; she denied this, though an affidavit said she admitted using racist language at points, according to The New York Times.
The dispute involved repeated arguments, a steady stream of calls to authorities, and rising tension that spread across the complex. Per CBS News, both sides pointed to prior incidents to explain how the situation escalated long before the final confrontation.
The Perfect Neighbor case: what happened that night
On the night of June 2, Owens went to her neighbor Lorincz’s door after hearing that her children had been yelled at and that a roller skate had been thrown. She knocked at the door and demanded a conversation. From inside, Susan Lorincz fired a single shot through the locked door. Owens was struck in the chest and later pronounced dead at a hospital.
Witnesses told investigators about the dispute earlier that day and said an umbrella had also been swung at one of the children. Those details came through interviews and affidavits and were described in later trial coverage.
According to CNN reporting, Lorincz did not testify at trial, but in a recorded interview, she said she feared for her life at the door. Prosecutors said the threat was not imminent because the door was closed and locked.
The Perfect Neighbor case: charges, trial, and sentence
After interviews, video review, and evidence collection, deputies arrested Lorincz on June 7, 2023. She was charged with manslaughter with a firearm, along with related counts, according to the Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s office. At trial in August 2024, a six-person jury found her guilty of manslaughter by use of a firearm after a short deliberation. NPR reported the panel’s verdict and noted the jury’s composition.
At sentencing on November 25, 2024, the judge imposed a 25-year prison term. From the bench, he said the shooting was based more on anger than fear and that the shooter was safe behind a locked door at the time.
The state had sought a higher term, while the defense asked for a departure citing mental-health claims and past abuse. The court acknowledged those points but declined to reduce the penalty beyond five years below the maximum under the statute.
The Perfect Neighbor opens in select theaters on October 10 and will stream on Netflix on October 17. The documentary presents the case almost entirely through police body-camera video, 911 audio, and official recordings.
