Tampa Felon Who Led Police On A Chase Through Tampa Sentenced To More Than 6 Years In Federal For Possessing Two Firearms And Extended Magazine

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced Shawn Lanier Lowman, Jr. (23, Tampa) to six years and six months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Lowman had pleaded guilty on March 23, 2023.

According to court documents, at approximate 11 p.m. on November 1, 2022, Lowman was a passenger in a black sedan that fled after officers from the Tampa Police Department (TPD) had attempted to conduct a traffic stop. The sedan led the officers on a vehicle chase through the Old Seminole Heights and Sulphur Springs neighborhoods in Tampa.  The chase continued on foot as Lowman ran through a residential neighborhood.  A TPD Air Service helicopter tracked Lowman using a Forward Looking InfraRed (“FLIR”) camera as he fled through the neighborhood and into the backyard of a residence where he hid in a shed.  The helicopter’s FLIR camera captured the thermal signature of Lowman inside the shed.  TPD officers converged on the shed and arrested Lowman. The officers later recovered 10.9 grams of bagged cocaine from inside the shed. 

TPD officers retraced Lowman’s path of flight and located a backpack containing two loaded firearms: (1) a Glock 9mm pistol; and (2) a Smith & Wesson Model 659 9mm pistol (loaded with 14 rounds of ammunition, with one in the chamber).  Lowman’s fingerprints were found on both pistols.  The backpack also contained a digital scale, an extended magazine (black Pro Mag-brand, with 11 rounds), and a black ski mask.  In an interview following his arrest, Lowman admitted that the fingerprints found on the firearms belonged to him and that he had possessed the firearms.     

At the time, Lowman had previously felony convictions for armed carjacking with a deadly weapon and armed burglary. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This case was investigated by the Tampa Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David W.A. Chee.