Vice President J.D. Vance’s half-brother ‘will not be intimidated’ after church window hit by bullet

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 statement, Bowman said the bullet hole was an escalation of previous “negative” social media posts.

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

“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.”

Bowman, a Republican, is challenging incumbent Democratic Mayor Aftab Pureval in the Nov. 4 election. The Queen City’s mayoral race is technically nonpartisan, and Bowman and Pureval received the most votes in the May 6 primary, setting the stage for the November showdown at the ballot box.

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.

In September, the state announced new partnerships with Cincinnati officials aimed at keeping the public safe and cracking down on violent criminals.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol will start working directly with the Cincinnati Police to implement data-driven “violent crime reduction initiatives.” By leveraging insights from the Cincinnati Crime Gun Intelligence Center, authorities previously said they would focus their efforts on areas where crime is surging.