Craig Greenberg says campaign is 'traumatized' by release of alleged shooter

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville mayoral candidate Craig Greenberg issued a statement Thursday saying he and his campaign are "traumatized" by the release of 21-year-old Quintez Brown from jail.

Brown is charged with attempted murder and four counts of wanton endangerment after police said he fired shots into Greenberg's campaign office on Monday. No one was hurt, but Greenberg was grazed by a bullet.

On Wednesday the Louisville Community Bail Fund posted Brown's $100,000 bond, prompting his release from jail.

On Thursday, Greenberg issued a written statement criticizing his release. The full statement is below:

"Our criminal justice system is clearly broken. It is nearly impossible to believe that someone can attempt murder on Monday and walk out of jail on Wednesday. If someone is struggling with a mental illness and is in custody, they should be evaluated and treated in custody. We must work together to fix this system.

Sadly, like others who suffer from a broken system, my team and family have been traumatized again by this news.

That said, I trust LMPD to carry out this investigation properly so that the individual responsible for trying to kill me will be prosecuted appropriately. Regardless of what leads someone to commit a violent crime, there must be consequences. Gun violence is unacceptable under any circumstances for any reason anywhere.

Too many families in our city live in fear due to the constant threat of gun violence. We must all work together to fix this system so it works for everyone and is focused on preventing violent crime from happening. I will remain focused on the urgent work to make Louisville safer, reduce senseless gun violence, and combat the root causes of crime. And, I will lead the effort to invest more in mental health resources in all of our neighborhoods and especially in our jails.

Mr. Brown and his family are hurting. My family and team are hurting. I pray for everyone involved in this alarming incident."

Chanelle Helm, co-founder of the Louisville Community Bail Fund, said this isn’t the first time they’ve paid a high cash bail for inmates stuck inside Louisville’s and other jails across the country, it and certainly won't be the last.

“We are on our sixth death in (Louisville Metro Corrections), with someone dying last week due to the mental health resources that they do not have," she said.

U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-KY, fired back at Black Lives Matter following the groups effort in getting Brown released.

“This far-left Black Lives Matter activist and defund-the-police cheerleader walked into a Jewish Democrat’s campaign headquarters and opened fire,” McConnell said. “Obviously, every aspect of this is still under investigation, including the suspect’s mental condition.”

Jefferson County Attorney Mike O'Connell said it’s "frustrating" that his office "has such little control in these situations.”

“This sort of a situation makes every community take a hard look at themselves," said O'Connell, who supports a cashless bail system and is interested in having a conversation with other organizations who share the same ideas.

"Louisville has been through a lot."

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