Milwaukee – A 27-year-old woman has been charged with second-degree reckless homicide after allegedly shooting her neighbor, a well-known local dentist, following a noise complaint at her apartment.
Keionna McGowan now faces serious charges in connection with the death of 41-year-old Dr. Akintunde Bowden, a respected dental surgeon in Milwaukee.
What Happened That Night
According to the criminal complaint, Milwaukee police were called to an apartment complex just before 11 p.m. on April 19 after reports of a shooting.
When officers arrived, they found Bowden’s body lying in the doorway of McGowan’s apartment. He was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy later confirmed Bowden died from a single gunshot wound to the stomach.
McGowan’s Version of Events
McGowan told investigators she was inside her apartment, listening to music while trying on clothes and doing her hair, when someone began aggressively banging on her door.
She answered to find Bowden, who lived in the apartment below hers. She said he appeared drunk and yelled at her to turn the music down. McGowan said she agreed, closed the door, and lowered the volume.
However, she claimed Bowden continued to kick her door hard enough to shake her apartment. Feeling scared, McGowan said she grabbed her gun and reopened the door. As she did, she saw Bowden making a kicking motion and fired one shot, striking him.
When police arrived, they found McGowan running around the building in a pink dress, yelling for help and telling them that someone was in her apartment.
What Others Are Saying
Property manager David Karademas sent a letter to residents following the shooting. He said there was no known history of problems between McGowan and Bowden, who were both long-term tenants.
Karademas added that normally, noise complaints are handled by an on-site caretaker, but that night Bowden decided to confront McGowan himself.
“According to our camera footage, he went up to the apartment and began aggressively banging on the door and kicking it,” Karademas wrote. He said McGowan “wrongfully presumed” she was about to be assaulted.
However, Bowden’s fiancée, Theresa Bell, shared a different view. She said Bowden was home earlier watching a basketball game and that although McGowan sometimes played music loudly, Bowden had never confronted her before.
Bell told WISN that it was McGowan who chose to escalate the situation. She described Bowden as a protector, a provider, and a deeply respected figure in the community. Bowden served as the director of dental services at Milwaukee Health Services, Inc., and had been honored with a Black Excellence Award in 2022 for his service to underserved patients.
Bell said she is seeking “justice” for Bowden’s death.
Legal Developments
McGowan was officially charged on April 24 and is being held on a $15,000 bond. She is claiming self-defense.
If convicted, she faces up to 25 years in prison for the homicide charge and an additional five years for the weapons charge, along with a possible $100,000 fine.