Louisville mayoral candidate targeted in campaign headquarters shooting, authorities say

By Devan Cole, Paul Murphy and Paradise Afshar, CNN

A Democratic candidate for mayor in Louisville, Kentucky, was the target of a shooting Monday morning at his campaign headquarters, authorities said.

Democrat Craig Greenberg was the target of the shooting in the city’s Butchertown neighborhood, Louisville Metropolitan Police Department Chief Erika Shields said, adding that although there were no injuries in the incident, a round did appear to strike Greenberg’s clothing.

Quintez Brown, 21, has been charged with attempted murder and four counts of wanton endangerment in the first degree in connection with the shooting, according to Louisville Metro Police Department Public Information Officer Elizabeth Ruoff.

Greenberg said Tuesday that he and his staff were gathered for a morning meeting in his office at campaign headquarters when an individual walked in.

“We asked if we could help him. And he pulled out a gun, aimed it directly at me and opened fire,” Greenberg told CNN’s John Berman on “New Day.” “I was fortunate that one of my brave teammates slammed the door shut. They were able to throw some desks on top of the door and the suspect fled. So, we are very blessed to be here today. All of us on the team are.”

Brown pleaded not guilty during a court appearance Tuesday, and his bond was set at $100,000. The court also issued a no-contact order, barring him from going to the location of the incident and contacting Greenberg or anyone associated with his campaign. A no-firearm order was also issued.

Brown’s attorney said his client will be undergoing a mental health evaluation, saying he believes “there are serious mental issues at play here.”

Brown is a student at the University of Louisville, John R. Karman III, a spokesperson for the school, told CNN. The Louisville Courier Journal also identified Brown as a former intern and editorial columnist with the newspaper.

Shields said earlier Monday that authorities had “no known motive at this time,” adding: “We also have no reason to believe at this time that this individual was acting anything but alone.”

Greenberg told CNN he was under the impression that he was the target of the shooting when asked about the investigation. He said he doesn’t believe he had met Brown prior to the shooting but recalled reading about him in media reports from the previous year.

The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were assisting local police investigating the incident, spokespeople for the agencies told CNN.

Tim Beam, a spokesperson for the FBI, also confirmed that FBI agents responded to the scene. Beam said the FBI was working to determine whether any federal crimes took place during the attempted shooting.

ATF spokesperson Cassandra Mullins confirmed that the agency is assisting Louisville Metro Police in responding to the incident, which began after 911 calls were made regarding an “active aggressor.”

Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear said in a tweet that he was “appalled to learn about the attempt on Craig Greenberg’s life.”

“I have spoken with Craig and I am grateful that he is physically unharmed. Violence is never the answer,” he continued.

This story has been updated with additional details and reaction.

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CNN’s Chandelis Duster, Raja Razek and Shawna Mizelle contributed to this report.