Florida vice mayor shot dead, husband jailed as suspect

The vice mayor of Coral Springs, Florida, has been shot and killed on Wednesday, with her husband taken into custody as the lone suspect in what police called a case of domestic violence, officials said.

Nancy Metayer Bowen, 38, was the first Black woman and first Haitian American woman to serve as commissioner in Coral Springs, a town of about 134,000 people, some 72 km north of Miami.

She was elected to the commission in 2020, re-elected in 2024, and named vice mayor by her fellow commissioners, according to the city's website. Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris named her as her campaign's Caribbean vote director in Florida, the Sun Sentinel reported in 2024.

Police responding to a call found Metayer Bowen's body in her home and later arrested her husband. He was booked into the Broward County jail in Fort Lauderdale, officials said.

Stephen Bowen, 40, was listed as chief operating officer of Men of St. Luke, a nonprofit organisation registered in Broward County.

Court records have not yet listed a defense lawyer for Bowen, and authorities have not said whether he has retained counsel.

Fellow Commissioner Joshua Simmons remembered Metayer Bowen as a "battle buddy," saying he often tried to shield her from the harsh nature of politics.

"She had such a good heart. Truly cared about people, even when people were saying some of the most horrible things about her," Simmons told a press conference.