Twenty years ago, the Florida legislature passed a “Stand Your Ground” law that changed the way self-defense shootings would be interpreted: rather than acknowledge an obligation to retreat from imminent danger, Floridians would be allowed to “Stand their ground” - providing a legal protection for shooting someone posing a threat.
Here in Florida – we saw the impacts of this law in 2013 when Sanford resident George Zimmerman shot and killed 17-year Trayvon Martin – an unarmed teen who was walking through the gated community where his father’s fiancé lived. Under Florida’s Stand Your Ground law, police were prohibited from arresting Zimmerman. Even after charges were filed six weeks after the shooting, a jury acquitted Zimmerman of murder and manslaughter charges.
More recently, the story of Ajike Owens, a mother of four living in Ocala, had gripped the nation. Her neighbor, a 58-year-old white woman, had been harassing Ajike and her children for more than a year, calling the police on her children for playing in the neighborhood. The dispute culminated in June of 2023 when the neighbor, Susan Lorincz, blindly shot Ajike on her porch, through her closed front, killing her. She tried to use the Stand Your Ground defense, unsuccessfully, and was sentenced to 25 years.
These are two of many cases in Florida employing a Stand Your Ground defense – it is difficult to quantify how often this law is used because the state stopped reporting this statistic last year. Florida is just one of 35 states with a Stand Your Ground law.
Analysis of FBI data indicates homicides in which white shooters kill Black victims are deemed justifiable four times as often as when the situation is reversed.
Engage invited five members of the Central Florida community to share their perspectives on the use of the Stand Your Ground law as well as gun safety and education.
Community representatives engaging in the discussion include:
- Ruben Saldana, a Community Advocate with Credible Messengers – a nationwide initiative matching community leaders in mentorship relationships with area young people
- Chris Louissaint, owner, FTAC Security Solutions & Firearms Training
- Monique Worrell, state attorney for the Ninth Judicial Circuit of Florida, serving as the chief prosecutor for Orange and Osceola counties.
- Audra Fontanez, teacher at Elite Preparatory Academy and Faith & Healing Leader
- Alton Edmond, a trial attorney and founder of Edmond Law LLC – and a Second Amendment advocate
The discussion was moderated by Central Florida Public Media Senior Producer Richard Copeland and Community Collaboration Director Rebecca Fernandez.
