Gunshots fired at Jewish candidate for Louisville mayor

JTA — A gunman opened fire on a Jewish Democrat who is running for mayor of Louisville, Kentucky. Craig Greenberg, the candidate, said he is safe, and the police said one possible motive was the fact that the target is Jewish.

“My team and I are fortunately all safe,” Greenberg said in a message posted Monday on Twitter after the attack. “We are all with [Louisville Metro Police] now. I will provide an update as soon as possible. Thank you for the outpouring of support.”

A suspect was apprehended near Greenberg’s campaign office in Kentucky’s largest city, police said, adding they had not determined a motive.

Lousiville police chief Erika Shields said Greenberg was the target and that a bullet penetrated his clothing. She said one possibility is that Greenberg was targeted because he is Jewish.

“Mr. Greenberg is Jewish, so there’s that,” she said. “We don’t know if it’s tied to the candidate, is political, or are we dealing with someone who has mental issues, is venomous. We have to really keep an open mind and be diligent in taking care of our community.”

WDRB, a local TV news outlet, quoted a councilman, David James, as saying the gunman fired on Greenberg at his office in the city’s Butchertown Market, a food and retail complex in the city’s forming meatpacking district.

Greenberg said in a social media post that “my team and I are fortunately all safe,” adding: “Thank you for the outpouring of support.”

The suspect appeared to have acted alone, police said.

BUTCHERTOWN SHOOTING | WATCH: LMPD Chief Erika Shields explains what happened this morning in Butchertown involving mayoral candidate Craig Greenberg being shot at.

Developing story: https://t.co/XUHlBauFQH pic.twitter.com/ngxA4jkwTC

— WAVE (@wave3news) February 14, 2022

Greenberg and his staff were safely evacuated from the building, police said.

The suspect was apprehended outside the building shortly after the shooting, Shields said.

Greenberg launched his mayoral campaign last year and has built a big fundraising lead in a crowded race to succeed outgoing Mayor Greg Fischer.

Greenberg, a prominent businessman, worked as CEO of 21c Museum Hotels and also served on the University of Louisville board of trustees for a couple years.

Charles Booker, a Louisville Democrat running for the US Senate, called the shooting a “critical reminder of the work we must do to realize true community safety.”

AP contributed to this report