Activist Quintez Brown Charged in Attempted Shooting of Louisville Mayor Hopeful Greenberg

A Louisville activist has been identified as a suspect in the attempted shooting of mayoral candidate Craig Greenberg — a case that has drawn national attention and unproven accusations of radicalism amid a tense racial and political climate.

Quintez Brown, 21, was charged late Monday with attempted murder and four counts of wanton endangerment after Greenberg was shot at in his campaign headquarters that morning.

No one was injured in the shooting, but a bullet grazed Greenberg’s sweater and shirt.

Brown, a former intern and editorial columnist for The Courier Journal, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Tuesday, where a judge set his bail at $100,000.

Police have not offered a motive for the shooting, but speculation quickly swirled on social media, linking Brown’s arrest to his activism and affiliation with racial justice organizations.

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Brown disappeared for about two weeks last year. He was found on a park bench in New York, said Rob Eggert, his attorney.

“This is not a hate crime — it is a mental health case,” Eggert told The Courier Journal on Tuesday.

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Greenberg and four members of his staff were at a meeting in his campaign office in the Butchertown Market building when a man entered the doorway about 10:15 a.m. and began shooting at him, the candidate said Monday.

A staff member near the door managed to “bravely” get it shut, Greenberg said, and others moved tables in front of the door as the suspect fled.

“I’m very fortunate to have a great team of great people who responded in that way,” Greenberg said.

A police report says a man later identified as Brown fired a 9mm Glock handgun in the office.

Officers found a man matching the suspect’s description less than half a mile away about 10 minutes later, carrying a loaded 9mm magazine in his pants pocket, according to the arrest report.

He also had a drawstring bag with a handgun, handgun case and additional magazines, the report said.

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Eggert said Brown is a senior at the University of Louisville, where he is an MLK Scholar and has been opinion editor for the student newspaper, the Cardinal. He is the founder of From Fields to Arena, a group committed to providing political education and violence prevention training to youths engaged in hip-hop and athletics.

He recently announced he would run for Metro Council in District 5.

U of L professor Ricky Jones called Brown “one of the most brilliant kids I’ve ever encountered.”

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Metro Councilman Anthony Piagentini said people need to be careful about speculating on any motives until police finish their investigation.

However, he repeated comments on social media questioning if Brown could have been used as “a pawn.”

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