Vice President J.D. Vance’s half-brother, Cory Bowman, a Cincinnati pastor, said his campaign for mayor will not be “deterred” after a bullet was fired through the window of his church following a series of threats against him and his family.
In a post on X, Bowman, who leads the River Church Cincinnati, said an investigation is underway after a bullet hole was discovered in a window of the church on Saturday. No one was inside the building at the time of the incident.
OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM CORY BOWMAN, PASTOR OF THE RIVER CHURCH CINCINNATI
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…
— Cory Bowman (@corymbowman) October 18, 2025
He writes in part:
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 building.
An official report has been filed with the Cincinnati Police Department, who have been very helpful. As the building was unoccupied during the incident, it has been classified as property damage.
“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,” he added. “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.”
“Despite these challenges, we have adapted and made decisions to continually prioritize the safety and security of my family and those around us,” Bowman continued, noting further that he was not going to be at the church on Sunday due to a “previously scheduled appointment at another local Cincinnati church.”
He informed the congregation that church services would continue and assured them that proper security measures had been implemented with personnel on site.
“The safety of the families and individuals in our church has always been, and will continue to be, our top priority,” Bowman concluded. “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.”
Bowman is a Republican running against incumbent Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval (D) in the upcoming Nov. 4 election, Ohio.news reported, adding:
Crime has been a focus of this year’s mayoral race, particularly following a July 26 brawl in downtown Cincinnati, which went viral as bystanders opted to record it rather than call police. In the aftermath of the viral beatdown, which took place at West Fourth and Elm streets in downtown Cincinnati, authorities charged at least eight people in connection with the fight.
Critics lambasted Pureval for his slow response to what turned into a national story.
It may be too soon to say definitively whether this attack was politically motivated, but the pattern is hard to ignore. The fact that it happened at a church should alarm everyone — yet again, a house of worship has come under fire. Sadly, this is becoming far too common.
We’ve seen a growing number of attacks on churches across the country and abroad — from the horrific shooting at an LDS Church in Michigan that left four dead to the recent massacre at a Catholic church in Minnesota where two children were killed. Each time, the response from the political class seems muted, especially when the victims don’t fit the preferred narrative.
As of now, Vice President Vance has not commented on the shooting — but given the circumstances, his family and community deserve answers, and so does the country.
