Democrats across Florida and beyond are mourning the sudden death of Coral Springs Vice Mayor Nancy Metayer Bowen, who was found fatally shot just days before she was expected to announce a run for Congress. 

Police believe the incident may have been a case of domestic violence. According to Florida Politics, her husband, Stephen Bowen, is a suspect.

Stephen is  in police custody after initially fleeing to Plantation, where he was apprehended at the Landmark Towers apartment complex. Police responded to multiple gunshots, one source said. A press conference on the apparent homicide is set to take place.

Husband Taken Into Custody

Stephen Bowen is the suspect in the fatal shooting of Nancy Metayer Bowen. He fled the scene after the shooting took place. Police located him in Plantation at the Landmark Towers apartment complex and took him into custody.

The police response involved reports of multiple gunshots. The case is being investigated as a possible domestic violence incident. No additional details about the events leading to the shooting have been released by authorities.

Also Read: Democrat Governor Joins Revolt Against Trump’s Ballot Order on Federal Overreach

Nancy Metayer Bowen was 38 years old. She worked as an environmental scientist. She was the first Black woman to serve as a Coral Springs commissioner. She was also the first Haitian-American woman to serve in that role.Bowen advised the Kamala Harris presidential campaign on Caribbean voter engagement.

Last year, she was named the vice chair of the Florida Democratic Party’s Haitian-American Voter Engagement initiative.

Her positions involved local government service and party work focused on specific voter groups.

Planned Congressional Campaign

According to Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), Bowen had been planning to announce a run for Congress in the coming days.

“I’m in shock,” Moskowitz posted to X. “I was just with her on Saturday. She just buried her brother. She was about to announce she was running for Congress. Nancy was one of the nicest people I worked with. Always fighting for her community, always pushing to help. She had such a future. This is terrible.”

The death of Nancy Metayer Bowen comes days before she planned to announce her congressional campaign for the 2026 midterms.

Also Read: 3 Democratic Leaders Who Have Accidentally Given Trump Opportunity to Seek a Third Term

The timing means she will not be a candidate in the race for the office she intended to seek in Florida.

Bowen had been the first Black woman and the first Haitian-American woman to serve as a Coral Springs commissioner. She advised the Kamala Harris presidential campaign on Caribbean voter engagement and served as vice chair of the Florida Democratic Party’s Haitian-American Voter Engagement initiative last year.

Her roles placed her in positions to work on voter engagement within the party in the state.