Allen Bow

Allen Bow, a 20-year-old African-American man from San Francisco, was a son whose loss would irrevocably alter his mother’s life. His mother, Mary Bow, a retired Muni bus driver, later described the profound and lasting trauma of his murder. "I don’t eat, I don’t sleep. I suffer from PTSD, bad. I’m a completely different person, in everything I do," she shared years after his death. The grief became a constant companion, a heavy weight she carried while seeking solace and community with other mothers who had lost children to violence in the city.

In the early morning hours of Saturday, November 17, 2007, Allen was walking on Polk Street. At approximately 1:20 a.m., near the intersection with Frank Norris Alley in the 1300 block of Polk Street, he became involved in an argument that escalated into a physical struggle with two individuals. During the altercation, one of the suspects shot Allen. Police responded to the scene, and Allen was rushed to San Francisco General Hospital, but his injuries were too severe. He was pronounced dead at the hospital. His death was one of two fatal shootings that marked a violent weekend in San Francisco.

The San Francisco Police Department’s Homicide Detail took charge of the investigation. Detectives sought to piece together the events that led to the fatal confrontation and identify the two suspects who fled the scene. Despite their efforts, the case grew cold as leads dried up and no witnesses came forward publicly to provide the information needed to make an arrest. The case remains unsolved, a source of persistent pain for Allen's family.

In an effort to generate new leads, the office of the San Francisco Mayor authorized a reward of $150,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for Allen Bow's murder. Such rewards are often a tool used by law enforcement in difficult cases, hoping to incentivize someone with crucial knowledge to break their silence. However, Allen's mother expressed her skepticism about the reward's effectiveness in bringing about justice for her son. "If you’re desperate, $10,000 is a lot of money," she said, "but if you’re from the streets, it’s not worth it: $10,000 is not worth your life."

In the years following her son's killing, Mary Bow found a measure of support by joining the Healing Circle for the Soul, a group for parents and family members who have lost loved ones, most to murder. The group, which meets twice a month, provides a space for grieving families to pray, share their anger and sorrow, and strategize on how to keep their loved ones' cases from being forgotten by the public and the justice system.

As of October 2022, nearly fifteen years after Allen Bow was killed, his homicide case remains open and unsolved. The $150,000 reward is still active, a standing plea for anyone with knowledge of the crime to come forward. The San Francisco Police Department continues to ask for the public’s help.

Anyone with information regarding the murder of Allen Bow is urged to contact the SFPD Homicide Detail at (415) 553-1145. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call the SFPD Tip Line at (415) 575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411, starting the message with "SFPD."