Florida vice mayor shot dead, husband jailed as suspect

By Daniel Trotta

April 1 (Reuters) - ‌The vice ​mayor ​of Coral Springs, Florida, was shot and killed on Wednesday and her husband was taken into ‌custody as the lone suspect in what police called ⁠a case of domestic violence, officials said.

Nancy Metayer Bowen, 38, was the ‌first Black woman and ‌first Haitian American woman to serve as commissioner in Coral Springs, a town of about 134,000 people some 45 ​miles (72 km) north of Miami.

She was elected to the commission in 2020, re-elected in 2024, and named vice mayor ⁠by her fellow commissioners, according to the city's website. Democratic presidential nominee Kamala ​Harris named her as her campaign's Caribbean vote director in Florida, the Sun Sentinel reported in 2024.

Police responding ​to a call found Metayer Bowen's ‌body in her home and later arrested her husband. He was booked into the Broward ⁠County jail in Fort Lauderdale, officials said.

Stephen Bowen, 40, was listed as chief operating officer of Men of St. Luke, a religious and ⁠fraternal nonprofit organization registered in Broward County.

Court records have not yet listed ​a defense lawyer for Bowen, and authorities have not said whether he has retained counsel.

Fellow Commissioner Joshua Simmons remembered Metayer Bowen as a "battle ‌buddy," saying he often tried to shield her from the harsh nature of politics.

"She had ‌such a good heart. Truly cared about people, even when ⁠people were saying some of ‌the most horrible ​things about her," Simmons told a press conference.

(Reporting by Daniel Trotta in Carlsbad, California; Editing by Edwina ‌Gibbs)

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