Craig Greenberg
By Lee Chottiner
Commuity Editor
Police have arrested Quintez Brown for the attempted assassination of Louisville mayoral candidate Craig Greenberg.
Brown, 21, a newspaper columnist and community activist, has been charged with attempted murder and four counts of wanton endangerment by Louisville Metro Police (LMPD).
According to the Courier Journal, Brown is a former intern and editorial columnist for the paper. He also wrote for the University of Louisville news source, The Louisville Cardinal.
According to his LinkedIn page, which has not been updated fro some time, he had been studying philosophy at UofL and recently announced his candidacy for Metro Council form District 5.
Brown went missing for about two weeks last June, according to news reports, but was found safe in New York City. At the time, his parents feared he might have been going through a mental health crisis.
Community has not found any information to suggest that antisemitism motivated the attack.
Hours after the Monday shooting at his campaign headquarters, Greenberg, the lone Jewish candidate of mayor of Louisville, met the media to describe that harrowing moment.
“I’m shaken up; it was a surreal experience,” Greenberg told reporters, “and mostly right now, I just want to get home to my wife and sons and give them a hug.”
LMPD have said antisemitism was just one of several possible motives.
“Mr. Greenberg is Jewish, so there’s that,” said Police Chief Erika Shields. “We don’t know if it’s tied to the candidate, is political, or are we dealing with someone who has mental issues, is venomous. We have to really keep an open mind and be diligent in taking care of our community.”
Greenberg, a Democrat and Louisville entrepreneur, refused to speculate on the shooter’s motive while the police continue their investigation.Greenberg said he had been meeting with four members of his campaign team Monday morning at his Butchertown headquarters when the gunman appeared.“When we greeted him, he pulled out a gun, aimed directly at me and began shooting,” he said.
As the gunman stood in the doorway firing, Greenberg said one of his teammates slammed the door while others barricaded it with tables and chairs.
After the gunman fled they checked each other out before calling 911 on a cellphone.
Since the incident, other candidates for mayor, Republican and Democrat, have issued statements expressing support for Greenberg and his team. Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said he was “very saddened” by the attack, according to news reports.
Greenberg said the incident has renewed his resolve to do something about the city’s runaway problem with gun violence. Louisville finished 2021 with 188 homicides, with December being the 23rd straight month of double-digit shooting deaths
Greenberg has called gun violence has been his “number one issue” in the campaign.
“It is not lost on me today that the violence my staff and I experienced today is far too common in our city,” Greenberg said. “Too many Louisville families have experienced the trauma of gun violence. Too many in Louisville were not as blessed as my team and I were today to survive.”
JTA contributed to this story.