Bartow, FL – Polk County jury has convicted Kenneth Bowers of first-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder in connection with a December 26, 2022, shooting in Lakeland.
Lakeland Police Department officers responded to reports of an active shooting near Providence Reserve Loop. Upon arrival, officers located two victims with gunshot wounds. One victim had been shot in the face; the second victim had been shot in the torso. Both were transported to Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center, where the torso-shot victim was pronounced deceased. The facial-shot victim survived.
Investigation revealed the incident began as a fight among children that escalated to involve teenagers and adults. Bowers arrived at the scene in a vehicle armed with an assault rifle and opened fire. He then fled and was later apprehended in Hillsborough County.
Bowers is scheduled for sentencing on Friday, November 7, where he faces a mandatory life sentence.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorney Mark Levine of the 10th Judicial Circuit. The Lakeland Police Department conducted the investigation.
Source: Office of State Attorney Brian Haas, 10th Judicial Circuit.
