Savannah Man Sentenced to 10+ Years for City Market Shooting

A 29-year-old Savannah man who opened fire on a crowd in City Market, wounding two people, has been locked up for over a decade.

Savannah man Joshua Bowser was sentenced to 125 months in federal prison for Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon, U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg announced.

A surveillance video captured the chaotic scene at City Market near Jefferson and West St. Julian streets, where Bowser fired at least six to eight shots into the crowd around 2 a.m. on November 6, 2022.

According to court documents, Bowser got into a fight with another man, who struck him and then backed away. As the unarmed man turned to leave, Bowser pulled out a 9mm semiautomatic firearm from his waistband and unleashed a hail of bullets, hitting the fleeing man and a female bystander.

Both victims survived their injuries and were taken to a hospital for treatment. Savannah police arrested Bowser on a state warrant later that day, and he entered a guilty plea to the federal charge in February.

Chief Judge R. Stan Baker agreed to enhance Bowser’s sentence due to the attempted murder and serious bodily injury caused by his actions. ‘Joshua Bowser demonstrated blatant disregard for the safety of hundreds of residents and visitors to Savannah’s popular City Market,’ U.S. Attorney Steinberg said.

‘With our Savannah law enforcement partners, we will continue our work to hold accountable those who illegally possess guns and threaten the safety of our communities.’

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Savannah Police Department, with prosecution by Southern District of Georgia Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Makeia R. Jonese.

Bowser will serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. ‘Joshua Bowser is a very violent individual who displays a total lack of concern for the lives of others,’ said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

This sentence represents the seriousness of his crime.’