CORAL SPRINGS, Florida — The South Florida community is in a state of profound shock following the death of Nancy Metayer Bowen, the Vice Mayor of Coral Springs, who was found shot to death in her home on Wednesday, April 1, 2026. Her husband, Stephen Bowen, has been apprehended and is being held as the primary suspect in what authorities are describing as a domestic violence incident.
The tragedy unfolded on Wednesday morning when Coral Springs police conducted a wellness check at the Vice Mayor’s residence around 10:00 a.m., prompted by a concerned friend who was unable to reach Metayer Bowen and reported that a subsequent phone call with her husband, Stephen, "sounded suspicious."
Upon entering the home, officers discovered Metayer Bowen deceased from apparent gunshot wounds, while Stephen Bowen, 40, had reportedly fled the scene in his vehicle. Using license plate recognition technology, authorities tracked his car along State Road 7, eventually apprehending him at a friend’s home in Plantation later that day.
Bowen has since been booked into the Broward County jail; while specific charges are pending the conclusion of the formal investigation, Police Chief Brad Mock confirmed that no other suspects are being sought in connection with the homicide.
Nancy Metayer Bowen, 38, was a prominent figure in Florida politics and a celebrated history-maker in her community. In 2020, she broke barriers by becoming the first Black woman and the first Haitian American woman elected to the Coral Springs City Commission.
An environmental scientist by trade with a degree from Johns Hopkins University, she utilized her expertise as a dedicated advocate for climate change policy and affordable housing. Recognized as a rising star within the Democratic Party, she had further solidified her political influence by serving as the Florida Caribbean Vote Director for the 2024 presidential election.
The tragedy comes during a period of immense personal loss for the Metayer family. Just three months ago, in December 2025, Nancy’s younger brother, Donovan Joshua Leigh Metayer—a survivor of the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting—died by suicide following a long battle with schizophrenia.
In social media posts from late 2025, Nancy had spoken of feeling "anchored by the love" of her husband as she navigated her grief and her public service duties.
Tributes have poured in from across the state. The City of Coral Springs released a statement describing Metayer Bowen as "a light in our community" whose leadership was "grounded in compassion and strength."
"Her impact on Coral Springs is immeasurable, and her loss leaves a void in our hearts," the statement read. "In this difficult time, we stand together as one city."
As the legal proceedings against Stephen Bowen begin, the community is left grappling with the sudden loss of a leader who spent her life fighting for others, only to fall victim to violence within her own home.