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Federal prosecutors ask that activist charged in Louisville mayoral candidate’s attempted shooting to stay in custody

Grayson County Detention Center

Federal prosecutors are asking for Quintez Brown, 22, to remain in custody pending his trial.

The Louisville student activist and writer is facing state and federal charges connected to the attempted shooting of Democratic mayoral candidate Craig Greenberg in February.

The federal charges accuse Brown of interfering with the federally protected right to run for office — and for doing so violently, with a firearm.

The motion prosecutors filed this week asks the court to prohibit his release into home incarceration. It includes photos of the gun allegedly used in the attempted shooting, purchase receipts and screenshots of Brown’s social media posts referencing Greenberg.

Prosecutors said in the motion that Brown plotted the February 14th attack and that his release poses a threat to the mayoral candidate and community.

Last week at a detention hearing, Brown’s attorney Rob Eggert argued that his client required mental health support outside of jail. He pointed to professional help Brown received while under home incarceration for state charges. But the judge, Colin Lindsay, said the defendant’s mental health had no bearing on his decision.

Brown’s attorneys and family have spoken about his struggles with mental illness. In February, a Jefferson County District Court judge permitted Brown to be released from home incarceration to undergo a mental health evaluation.

He was arraigned in the Jefferson County Circuit Court earlier this month after a Kentucky grand jury indicted him on several felony charges. Brown pleaded not guilty to one count of attempted murder and four counts of wanton endangerment for his alleged actions. Brown’s pre-trial hearing for those charges is scheduled to take place on June 9.