On the late evening of September 10, 2025, a dispute between two young men escalated into a fatal shooting at a Royal Farms convenience store on Chincoteague Road in Accomack County, Virginia. Miguel Ethan Soto Trader, a 25-year-old male, was shot and killed during the encounter. The incident, which unfolded around 11:24 p.m., prompted a 'shots fired' call to the local 9-1-1 Center.
Responding deputies from the Accomack County Sheriff's Office discovered Miguel Ethan Soto Trader
unresponsive on the floor of the convenience store, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced deceased at the scene. The investigation into the shooting also revealed that a female bystander was struck by a projectile during the incident and was subsequently transported to a local hospital for treatment.
The investigation quickly led to a suspect, 19-year-old David Dean Bowden Jr. of New Church, Virginia. Authorities stated that Bowden and Trader had an 'ongoing feud over a female.' Following the shooting, Bowden contacted the Accomack County Sheriff's Office and confessed to the crime. His mother then brought him in to surrender to the authorities. A Hi-Point 9mm semi-automatic pistol was recovered from the vehicle that Bowden arrived in.
David Dean Bowden Jr. was arrested and is being held without bond at the Accomack County Jail. He faces several charges, including second-degree murder, discharging a firearm within a building, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and unlawful wounding. The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Accomack County Sheriff's Office.
