Milwaukee woman shot in head, $500K bond for woman charged

Erma Bowie, charged in connection with the shooting of Asiah Dennis, who was shot in the head inside her own home near 16th and Lincoln on March 4, was in court in Milwaukee County Monday after she was arrested in Louisiana in April.

MILWAUKEE - Erma Bowie, wanted in connection with the shooting of Asiah Dennis, who was shot in the head inside her own home near 16th and Lincoln on March 4, was in court in Milwaukee County Monday, May 8 after she was arrested April 27 in Louisiana.

Cash bond was set at $500,000 for Bowie, charged with first-degree attempted homicide, possession of a firearm by a felon and felony bail jumping

Bowie was extradited from East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana to Wisconsin after her arrest, which came over a month after Bowie's stepfather told FOX6 she was planning to turn herself in to Milwaukee police.

The fact that she was charged 10 days after the shooting but arrested in Louisiana more than a month later was part of the reason the state asked for $500,000 cash bond, drawing this reaction from the public defender.

Erma Bowie, Asiah Dennis

"I do believe that that is an excessive amount of bail, even regardless of the gravity of the alleged offenses at this time," said Megan Kaldunski, public defender.

"She intentionally shot the victim in the head," said Karine O'Byrne, prosecutor. "She's evidenced in every way possible that she will not comply with lawful orders, that she is dangerous in the community."

The court commissioner sided with prosecutors, pointing to the fact that Bowie should have been in jail when the shooting happened.

"I have no impression that if I did set lower bail, you'd return to court to face these charges, as you didn't report to jail when you were already convicted of a misdemeanor," said Maria Dorsey, court commissioner.

Erma Bowie

Six weeks after first telling us about her sister, Asiah Dennis. Erika Brister couldn't help but smile when sharing an update on April 23. Family said Dennis can't talk just yet, so she uses signals to communicate. One means yes, and two means no.

"We're doing better, actually. She's getting better," said Brister.

Brister noted her sister's strength and persistence under the direst of circumstances. Dennis was initially in a coma, and Brister said her younger sister's brain was only functioning at 1%.

"She's walking," said Brister. "It's just, her right side is kinda sluggish, but she's there. That left side is strong, and she's getting strong enough to come home, and they're still shocked about where she started from until now."

An ambulance rushed Dennis to the hospital on the morning of March 4. The 26-year-old was shot in the head inside her own home following a night out. Brister said she's been to the hospital to visit every day since.

Erma Bowie

"It's gotten to the point where the nurses have my badge already wrote out for me 'cause I'm there, so I want her to know that she's not alone, and she's never gonna be alone," said Brister.

Prosecutors charged Erma Bowie, 27, 10 days after the shooting.

According to a criminal complaint, Dennis attended a birthday party at a hookah lounge near 91st and Silver Spring. Her father said she came home early on March 4 drunk to their house at 16th and Lincoln.

Prosecutors say it was Bowie who drove Dennis home that night.

Dennis' father said shortly after his daughter came home, there was banging at their door, and two women were outside. According to the complaint, he said Bowie was one of those women, and she had a gun. They were demanding that Dennis come outside.

Dennis' father called 911, and the complaint says the woman appeared to leave. Dennis stepped outside to confirm that, and the women tried pushing their way into the home, according to prosecutors. This is when Bowie allegedly shoved the gun through the window, telling Dennis, "I'll kill you," before firing once.

Prosecutors say Dennis' father identified Bowie as the shooter via a photo array. An investigation revealed Dennis received 38 phone calls from Bowie that morning.

According to Dennis' family, Dennis came home from the birthday party with someone else's keys. The family believes this is what the two women came to the home looking for. They got them, but that wasn't enough.

"The other one was like, 'No. I'm finna kill her. I'm gonna take her out' and reached right over my dad and shot my sister right in the back of her head as she was walking off," said Brister.

Still, Brister said her family is focused on the positive.

"It gives us all peace that she's coming home, and that we ain't gotta worry about her leaving us," said Brister.

Asiah Dennis

Brister said she's hopeful her sister will be discharged from the hospital in the next few months.

Bowie was convicted in August 2022 after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit intimidation of victim. She was sentenced in October to serve seven months in the House of Correction but never showed up to jail. At the same time, in a separate case, she pleaded guilty to first-degree recklessly endangering safety and received a sentence of three years' probation.

Two months later, in November 2022, another Milwaukee County case was filed against her, with a plea/sentencing hearing set for April. In that case, she is charged with second-degree recklessly endangering safety, use of a dangerous weapon; possession of a firearm by a felon and felony bail jumping.

In February 2023, she was charged with failure to report to jail, and a warrant was issued for her arrest. Another warrant was issued after the shooting that hospitalized Dennis.