Right-wing forces bear responsibility for the Black Lives Matter activist who allegedly tried to assassinate a Democratic mayoral candidate in Louisville, Kentucky, the Las Vegas Sun editorial board suggested in an op-ed Wednesday.
Quintez Brown, a Louisville-based BLM activist and a former editorial columnist with the Courier-Journal, allegedly fired multiple shots in Craig Greenberg’s campaign office Monday evening with a 9 mm Glock handgun. Brown, who publicly advocated for gun control on MSNBC in 2018, was released from jail Wednesday afternoon after a bail fund affiliated with Black Lives Matter Louisville paid his $100,000 bond.
“While there’s been no indication yet that the activist had ties to any right-wing organizations, the shooting comes amid a rise in threats against politicians fueled by increasingly violent rhetoric coming from extremist Republicans,” the original version of the Las Vegas Sun editorial board’s op-ed said.
The op-ed was updated to “reflect reporting” on Brown’s political ties. However, the suggestion that it may yet be revealed that Brown has ties to right-wing forces remains featured in the story.
.@JoyAnnReid: You’re from the home state of the @SenateMajLdr. What do you want him to know?
@QUINTEZ_BROWN: We want common sense #gunreform. If you’re not going to give us that we’re going to get everyone out here to vote & vote you out of office #MarchForOurLives #AMJoy pic.twitter.com/cHPYn23Gph
— Formerly ‘AM JOY’ on @MSNBC (@amjoyshow) March 24, 2018
“While it’s been reported that the activist was involved in the Black Lives Matter and gun-safety movements and there has been no indication yet that he had ties to any right-wing organizations, the shooting comes amid a rise in threats against politicians fueled by increasingly violent rhetoric coming from extremist Republicans,” the updated version of the op-ed said.
The Las Vegas Sun editorial board dedicated the bulk of its op-ed making the case that right-wing forces and the Republican Party bear responsibility for political violence across the country.
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“Given that the GOP has largely fueled this problem, it holds the lion’s share of the responsibility for addressing it,” the Las Vegas Sun editorial board wrote in reference to the 9,600 threats made against members of Congress in 2021. “Republicans must condemn, in the strongest terms, any member of their party who promotes or suggests political violence. That includes sitting members of the House and Senate, ex-presidents and other top leaders.”
The Las Vegas Sun editorial board made no call in its op-ed to Democrats or to leaders of the Black Lives Matter movement to denounce political violence.
Greenberg and his staff were not injured during the shooting. However, the mayoral candidate’s clothing was struck during the shooting, officials said.
Greenberg said in a statement Thursday that he, his campaign team, and his family have been “traumatized again” by the news that his would-be assassin was released on bail to home incarceration.
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“Our criminal justice system is clearly broken,” Greenberg said. “It is nearly impossible to believe that someone can attempt murder on Monday and walk out of jail on Wednesday.”
