A tragic confrontation over loud music in a Wisconsin apartment building ended in gunfire late last month, leaving one man dead and a 21-year-old woman facing serious criminal charges.
According to court filings and local reports, 41-year-old Acentun De Bowden — a dentist who lived in the same building — was at home watching a basketball game on April 27 when he decided to complain to a neighbor about loud music coming from her unit. That neighbor, identified as 21-year-old Kiana McGowan, was reportedly combing her hair in her apartment while music played at high volume.
After Bowden knocked on McGowan’s door to ask her to turn the music down, she briefly spoke to him and then shut the door. Prosecutors say Bowden responded by kicking at the door repeatedly. Fearing that he was about to break in, McGowan retrieved a firearm. Moments later she opened the door and shot Bowden once in the abdomen.
Neighbors told investigators they heard a single gunshot followed by screams. Some rushed into the hallway to find Bowden lying at the entrance of McGowan’s unit. They called 911 immediately. Police officers and paramedics arrived within minutes, but Bowden was pronounced dead at the scene.
McGowan fled the apartment building immediately after the shooting, but she was located and arrested shortly afterward. During her first court appearance she claimed she had been terrified by Bowden’s behavior and believed he was trying to force his way into her home. Her attorney argued that she acted out of fear rather than malice.
Prosecutors, however, say McGowan had alternatives. The judge overseeing her initial hearing noted that she could have locked herself in a room and called 911 instead of opening the door with a gun in her hand. “Nothing about this situation required the taking of a life,” the judge reportedly said.
McGowan now faces three felony counts, including first-degree reckless homicide, use of a dangerous weapon, and endangering safety by use of a firearm. If convicted on all counts, she could face decades in prison and fines of up to $100,000.
The case has quickly drawn attention online and in local media because of its mix of everyday circumstances — a noise complaint between neighbors — and its deadly outcome. Supporters of Bowden’s family have described him as a hardworking professional and father who was simply trying to enjoy a basketball game. McGowan’s defenders argue that she reacted as many young women might if they believed a man was trying to break into their apartment.
As the case proceeds through the Wisconsin court system, it is likely to reignite debates over self-defense laws, firearms in homes, and how quickly routine disagreements can escalate into violence.
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