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Of the four suspects – three of whom are juveniles — in the Sunday night shooting, Combs was firm and focused, saying they should be tried as adults and "all go down as much and as fiercely as the justice system will allow."
Combs described her Fairmont junior as a solid student with an eye on a college while simultaneously being a gentleman and “a mama’s boy.”
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The organ donor was also looking forward to his new job and was a newly licensed driver who was quick to offer rides while “showing off” his 1999 Lexus.
“He was getting straight As,” said the teen’s stepfather, Ryan Combs. “I’ve never seen him happier.”
Jessica Combs said the last conversation she had with her son was earlier Sunday, when he called to ask permission to give some friends a ride to AlterFest.
In a “sweet, smirky” voice “he said, ‘Thank you Mommy. I love you.’ And I said, ‘I love you too. Be safe.’ And that was the last I spoke to him,” she said. “So, I’m glad I had that.”
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At AlterFest, an ongoing dispute flared up between Bowers’ friends and another group. After driving off in the Lexus, Bowers’ car was stopped a short distance away by a car holding the second group, which consisted of 18-year-old Miles Heizer and three juveniles, police said.
A fight ensued, Bowers’ car was blocked in and a shot fired hit the teen in the back of the head, according to authorities.
Police called Bowers an “innocent bystander,” and Jessica Combs said her son did not even know Heizer or the juveniles.
Said her husband, “He was only trying to help people. That’s the way he was.”
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Heizer, a 2016 Fairmont grad, was jailed early Monday morning on a felonious assault charge, the same crimes the juveniles – also Kettering students ages 16, 14 and 16 – were charged with. The charges against the three juveniles came just hours before Bowers died and will likely be upgraded.
One 16-year-old, who allegedly tried to hide a gun, faces a tampering with evidence charge, and all three minors remain in custody pending a Sept. 27 court date. Heizer was released Tuesday from Kettering jail pending further investigation, police said.
A suspected shooter has not been publicly identified or charged. Kettering Police Chief Chip Protsman declined to comment on who pulled the trigger or if authorities have a gun. Jessica Combs said police have not told her who they suspect the shooter to be, but she hopes “justice is served.”
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“I hope they remember my son every day for the rest of their lives,” she said, noting she would tell those responsible for her son’s death. “And you will be hearing from me and looking into my eyes very soon.”
Bowers’ mother said the teen’s death came at a time when he was preparing to look at colleges.
He was “just always helping people medically,” she said. “I know he wanted to go into the medical field.
“More specifically, he wanted to be a paramedic,” Jessica Combs added. “He was unsure of that – but somewhere in the medical field. Because he was always able to react calmly and help others.”
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She described her oldest son as a gentleman, “always opening my doors and taking out my dinner plate for me and doing everything for me.”
He often enjoyed tossing a football with his younger brother, Jesse, or hanging out with the 12-year-old and their mom on a Friday night.
“And he was so caring and so funny and so giving and so protective and loved his family so much,” she said.
At Fairmont, Bowers’ personality caught the attention of teacher Emily Newman when he was in her integrated science class his freshman year.
“I remember him being a really sweet kid,” Newman said. “He was social and liked to talk, but he still did what he was supposed to do. He would always walk in with a smile and wanted to chit-chat.
“There are so many kids here who are into all the clubs and sports, but that wasn’t his scene,” she added. “He was just a really sweet kid who was close to the kids he connected with.”
Fairmont is tentatively scheduled to be the site of a Sunday memorial service.
Because the teen was an organ donor, more than just his memory will live on, his mother said.
A call from Life Connection on Thursday morning confirmed matches, Jessica Combs said.
“I would love to meet the recipients of all of them. I would especially love to meet the recipients who received his heart and his eyes,” Combs said.
“I would love that his heart will continue to always beat and that it would save the life of someone,” she added. “I would love to see his beautiful brown eyes saving the sight of someone.”
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