Quintez Brown, 21, was arrested and charged on Monday with attempted murder and four counts of wanton endangerment after shooting Craig Greenberg, a Democratic candidate for Louisville mayor, in his office at the Butchertown Market Monday morning, the Louisville Courier-Journal reported late Monday night. The newspaper added that Brown, a civil rights activist, is a former intern and editorial columnist for The Courier-Journal.
Louisville Metro Police Chief Erika Shields said a round hit Greenberg’s clothes but did not strike his body, and Greenberg and his staff were “successfully ushered away.”
When asked if she thought the candidate had been shot for antisemitic reasons, the police chief responded: “Mr. Greenberg is Jewish, so there’s that.”
Speaking to reporters Monday evening, Greenberg called the shooting “a very surreal experience” that “far too many other people in Louisville have experienced.”
The candidate tweeted Monday evening: “My team and I are fortunately all safe. We are all with LMPD now. I will provide an update as soon as possible. Thank you for the outpouring of support.”
Chabad’s Bluegrass Rabbi S Litvin tweeted his sympathies:
Last night @RunWithCraig joined Chabad to provide support and love for houseless members of our community.
I was horrified to hear of the violence against him today.
Our prayers are with him and his family.
Thank you for your leadership. May you go from strength to strength. pic.twitter.com/BldEXPTod5
— Rabbi S Litvin (@BluegrassRabbi) February 14, 2022
On January 20, Greenberg, a Democrat, for whom this is his first run for elected office, released his plan to combat Louisville’s public safety and crime crisis, titled, “All In: A Comprehensive & Effective Plan for a Safer, Stronger and Healthier Louisville.”
Greenberg’s plan opens with the paragraph: “Louisville is in a tough spot. Our neighborhoods feel less safe, violent crime is rising, and too many people are trapped in addiction. We see abandoned cars on the streets and graffiti and trash in many neighborhoods.”
The plan continues: “Louisville deserves the best trained, trusted and transparent police department in America. We must have a police force of men and women who have been carefully recruited, properly trained, and well paid to perform the dangerous job of preventing and solving crime in our neighborhoods. And, they must be – from the Chief to the newest recruit – accountable to all of us. In turn, we must support them and their work.
“We must also address our long-standing systemic inequalities. And, we must provide more opportunities for our youth and young adults who currently lack hope and opportunity.”
Louisville Metro’s incumbent mayor, Greg Fischer, is also a Democrat, and a Catholic.
