Tennessee Man Who Opened Fire Outside Jewish School Receives Sentence

Image Credit: Memphis Police Department

The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –

The Tennessee man who opened fire outside a Jewish School in Memphis over two years ago has been sentenced. 

Joel Bowman, 35, pled guilty to firing his gun at a contractor over what turned out to be a personal dispute and not an antisemitic attack aimed at the school.

Having entered guilty pleas to aggravated assault and aggravated burglary at the end of last week, Bowman received 8 years of probation for the July 31st, 2023 incident.

When Bowman arrived at Margolin Hebrew Academy-Feinstone Yeshiva of the South, staff and construction workers were present, but class was not in session at the time. According to law enforcement, Bowman fired his weapon twice at a contractor, and then twice more outside the PreK-12 school before he drove away.

Memphis police were dispatched to the school and stopped the former student of the school in his vehicle. When Bowman exited the vehicle with a handgun, he was shot by the police, placing him in critical condition and necessitating a trip to a local hospital.

Bowman was charged with several offenses including carrying a weapon on school property, and assault on a first responder and later posted a $100,000 bond, lowered from $1 million just the day before.

Last year, a spokesperson for The Secure Community Network, which was working with the school through the Memphis Jewish Federation stated that Bowman was himself Jewish and that his motivation for the attack was not racially motivated.

At the time of the shooting, fears of anti-Jewish sentiment in the United States was a growing concern, coming after the conviction of a man who stormed a Pittsburgh synagogue and killed 11 congregants.

The shooter was later sentenced to death for committing the deadliest attack against Jewish people in the history of the U.S.

About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.