Akintunde Bowden, a 41-year-old Black / African American man, was a Milwaukee-area dentist whose life ended during a late-night confrontation with an upstairs neighbor on April 19, 2025. Bowden served as dental director for Milwaukee Health Services, Inc., where he had worked for more than a decade providing dental care to underserved communities. He had joined the organization after graduating from the University of Illinois College of Dentistry and had been recognized in 2022 with a Black
Excellence Award for his community service.
Shortly after 11 p.m. that Saturday, Brown Deer police were called to an apartment complex on North Park Plaza Court following a report of gunfire. The confrontation reportedly began over loud music coming from the apartment of Bowden's upstairs neighbor, Keionna McGowan. Prosecutors said Bowden went upstairs to complain about the noise. McGowan later told investigators that she heard aggressive banging on her door and, after looking through the peephole, opened it and encountered Bowden. She described him as appearing intoxicated and said he angrily complained about her music. According to her account, she agreed to lower the volume and initially closed the door.
McGowan told investigators that the confrontation continued and that she subsequently heard Bowden kicking at the door as though he was trying to get inside. She retrieved a firearm, returned to the doorway and opened the door. McGowan said Bowden made another movement as though he was going to kick the door, at which point she fired one shot. The bullet struck Bowden in the lower abdomen. Although McGowan told investigators she believed he had been drinking and was holding what she thought was a beer can, authorities reported finding a can of sparkling water near his feet.
When officers arrived, they encountered McGowan outside the building in an emotional and panicked state, calling for help. She acknowledged to an officer that she had shot the person inside. Police entered her apartment and found Bowden lying face down in the entryway suffering from the gunshot wound. Emergency efforts were unsuccessful, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy later determined that he died from the single gunshot wound to his lower abdomen.
Investigators also interviewed Bowden's fiancée, who had been away at a concert with her mother that evening. She told authorities that she had spoken with Bowden by FaceTime at approximately 10:30 p.m. and that he appeared to be at home watching a basketball game. She acknowledged that the upstairs resident sometimes played music loudly but said that, as far as she knew, Bowden had not previously confronted the neighbor about it. She described him as someone who was not prone to losing his temper and said she could not understand how the encounter had escalated into a fatal shooting.
McGowan was arrested in connection with Bowden's death, and on April 24, 2025, prosecutors formally charged her with second-degree reckless homicide involving the use of a dangerous weapon. Her cash bond was set at $15,000. At her May 5 court appearance, McGowan waived her preliminary hearing and entered a plea of not guilty. The original charge exposed her to the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence if convicted.
The case continued toward trial through the remainder of 2025 and into 2026. Jury selection was scheduled to begin on February 2, 2026, but instead of proceeding to trial, McGowan accepted a plea agreement. She pleaded no contest to the reduced charge of homicide by negligent handling or use of a firearm. Prosecutors indicated that evidence surrounding the circumstances of the shooting, including McGowan's statements that the gun discharged during the confrontation, supported resolving the case under the lesser negligence-based charge rather than the original reckless-homicide allegation.
On June 12, 2026, Milwaukee County Circuit Judge David Swanson imposed a sentence of three years in prison followed by three years of extended supervision, but stayed that sentence and instead placed McGowan on three years of probation. She was also ordered to remain sober and was prohibited from possessing a firearm. During the sentencing hearing, McGowan apologized to Bowden's family and said that she had been frightened and wished she could change what happened. Bowden's relatives expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome, while the judge concluded that McGowan did not pose an ongoing danger to the public.
Bowden's death left a significant void in Milwaukee's health-care community. Milwaukee Health Services remembered him as a compassionate leader who devoted his career to increasing access to oral health care, particularly for people in underserved communities. What began as an ordinary complaint about noise between neighbors ultimately became a fatal encounter, followed by an arrest, a homicide prosecution, a reduced plea and a probationary sentence more than a year after Bowden was killed.
