Vice President J.D. Vance's half-brother, Cory Bowman, is remaining defiant after a bullet was fired at his Cincinnati church over the weekend, saying he "will not be intimidated or deterred by any obstacles."
Bowman posted a statement on X about the shooting:
OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM CORY BOWMAN, PASTOR OF THE RIVER CHURCH CINCINNATI
— Cory Bowman (@corymbowman) October 18, 2025
On Saturday, October 18th, 2025, during our preparation for service of our church at 503 Clark Street, we discovered a bullet hole that had penetrated an exterior window on the Clark Street side of the…
Police are investigating after someone fired at least one bullet into the Cincinnati church of Vice President JD Vance’s half-brother, who is also running for mayor.
In a social media post, Cory Bowman, pastor of the River Church Cincinnati, said the bullet hole was discovered on Saturday at the church, located at 503 Clark Street in the city’s West End neighborhood. It “had penetrated an exterior window on the Clark Street side of the building.”
The church filed a police report, and Bowman said the authorities were “very helpful.” In a statementBowman said the bullet hole was an escalation of previous “negative” social media posts.
“As the building was unoccupied during the incident, it has been classified as property damage,” Bowman said.
“It is worth noting that, over the past week, there have been several negative social media posts, specifically regarding my family’s personal residence and the church’s address. Posts that are made due to the nature of our current mayoral campaign.
“Throughout this campaign, we have encountered negativity, unfortunately including threatening messages directed at our church, business, and family,” Bowman added. “Despite these challenges, we have adapted and made decisions to continually prioritize the safety and security of my family and those around us.”
Despite the bullet hole, the church held its regular service at 10 a.m. on Sunday with “proper security measures and personnel in place.” Bowman said he would attend “a previously scheduled appointment at another local Cincinnati church” and would not be present for the morning service.
“The safety of the families and individuals in our church has always been, and will continue to be, our top priority,” Bowman said. “We will not be intimidated or deterred by any obstacles. Our life’s work is to positively impact the people of Cincinnati, and that commitment remains unwavering.”
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Bowman, a Republican, is running for Cincinnati mayor. He is hoping to unseat incumbent Democrat Aftab Pureval.
Crime is a central issue in the mayoral race, following a summer that saw Cincinnati land in the national spotlight after a viral video of a mob punching a man and woman. The video, and the response of Cincinnati officials, left many with a sour taste in their mouths.
Black community leaders called on police to arrest and charge the victims of the crime for "inciting" felonies. A member of the city council said the victims were "begging for a beatdown" and Cincinnati Police Chief Terri Theetge chastised social media for sharing the video.
Vice President Vance commented on the story, saying, "What I saw, and I haven't seen the full context, but what I saw is a mob of lawless thugs beating up on an innocent person and it's disgusting and I hope every single one of those people who engage in violence is prosecuted to the full extent of the law and they will be, they will be so long as law enforcement in the state of Ohio takes their job seriously."
Bowman has been hammering the issue of crime in his city, pointing to a fatal shooting on Thursday night shortly after the Bengals game ended.
Cincinnati 🚨 A person was shot and killed near the stadium, barely three hours after Thursday night’s Bengals game ended.
— Cory Bowman (@corymbowman) October 17, 2025
That’s six shootings and two stabbings within 24 hours in Cincinnati.
The state of Ohio, through the Governor’s office and the Ohio State Patrol, has… pic.twitter.com/Woms52n6h3
"That's six shootings and two stabbings within 24 hours in Cincinnati," Bowman wrote. "The city must immediately accept all assistance offered by the state. This isn’t just a police chief issue—it’s failed leadership from the top down in our city."
The mayoral election is on Tuesday, November 4. Back in May, both Bowman and Pureval advanced in the city's non-partisan primary race, with Pureval leading Bowman by 70 percentage points.
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