Man shot, killed in Muni train is IDd

The San Francisco Medical Examiner’s Office on Thursday identified the man shot and killed a day earlier inside a Muni train.

Nesta Bowen, 27, was one of two people shot by a gunman Wednesday inside a train between the system’s Forest Hill and Castro stations, according to the Medical Examiner’s Office and the San Francisco Police Department.

Police officers responded to a report of a shooting at the Muni Forest Hill Station just before 10 a.m. and discovered that the train was headed toward the Castro Station, according to police spokesperson Allison Maxie.

At the Castro station, officers found Bowen and a 70-year-old man, who was taken to San Francisco General Hospital for his non-life-threatening injuries, police said. Bowen died at the scene.

Reached by phone Thursday afternoon, Bowen’s father, George Bowen, seemed to choke back sobs as he recounted how his son was navigating a period of transition before his life was cut short.

Born in Oakland, Bowen grew up mostly in Stockton, where his family moved in 2008. He had a vibrant musical pedigree, with a mother who sang reggae while his father DJ’d in the local dancehall scene, performing sets at the Elbo Room and other nightclubs. Bowen’s middle name was “Coltrane,” in honor of the jazz titan.

“He loved art and making music,” George Bowen said, describing his son as a producer and rapper who was also taking community college classes in graphic arts. Bowen had worked for the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department, but was in between jobs at the time he was shot dead.

Bowen’s mother had died of cancer four years earlier.

“I’m just trying to collect my thoughts,” said George Bowen. “It’s heartbreaking.”

The shooter fled the Castro Station and was still at large, according to police and District Seven Supervisor Myrna Melgar. No arrests were announced as of Thursday afternoon.

The Police Department released a still photo from surveillance video of an individual believed to be a person of interest and asked “this person to come forward and speak with investigators.”