In the early morning hours of February 2, 2017, the life of 20-year-old Quarte Atkinson Jr. was tragically cut short in his Louisville, Kentucky apartment. A Black male, Atkinson was discovered by police inside his home at the City View apartments in the Russell neighborhood, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Officers responded to reports of gunfire in the area just before 3 a.m.
and pronounced him dead at the scene.
Investigators began canvassing the area, knocking on doors in the hope of finding witnesses who might have seen or heard something that could lead to a suspect. Neighbors reported hearing around six gunshots, but initially, no suspects or significant leads emerged. The Louisville Metro Police Department's homicide unit took the lead on the case, appealing to the public for any information that could help them piece together the events of that fatal morning.
A break in the case came with the arrest of 20-year-old Arik Brooks. Through their investigation, police identified Brooks as a suspect in Atkinson's murder. He was taken into custody and charged with the killing. Following his arrest, Brooks was held at Metro Corrections. During a court appearance, a judge set his bond at $250,000. Brooks' attorney entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf.
