LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A day after a retired reserve deputy was shot and killed in Middletown, his son was charged in connection to the homicide. Brandon McQuillen, 43, was arrested and charged with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and violating an emergency protective order (EPO) on Thursday.
John McQuillen, 65, was fatally shot in the early morning hours of Wednesday. During Brandon McQuillen’s initial court appearance on Thursday, a judge confirmed that John McQuillen was his father and that Brandon had been charged in connection to the homicide.
Louisville Metro Police initially did not confirm that the homicide charge was related to John McQuillen’s death until late Thursday evening. According to McQuillen’s arrest citation, police located him late Wednesday night in connection with the ongoing homicide investigation and found him in possession of an AR-15 rifle. The only known homicide in Jefferson County on Wednesday morning was that of John McQuillen.
Court documents revealed a history of strained relations between father and son. In 2018, John McQuillen filed an EPO against Brandon McQuillen. Later, in 2024, Brandon McQuillen filed his own EPO against his father. The relationship between the two was further marred by past criminal behavior. In 2022, Brandon McQuillen was sentenced to three years in prison on charges including unlawful imprisonment, assault under extreme emotional disturbance, and theft. He was also found guilty of violating the EPO filed by his father. In that case, Brandon McQuillen was accused of chaining a woman to a ceiling, tasing her multiple times, and beating her with a pool cue. He left the victim locked up for 12 hours before fleeing the scene.
John McQuillen served as a reserve deputy with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office for over ten years before retiring in July 2021. He was described by neighbors as a kind, quiet man who had lived in the Middletown area for about seven months.
“A lot of people thought he was a nice man,” said Lonnie Thurman, president of the neighborhood association. “Not understanding how something like this, you know, could happen.”
On the morning of the shooting, neighbors reported hearing gunshots and witnessing police activity in the area. A bullet hole was found in a nearby vehicle, and a suspicious package was detonated near the victim’s car. Witnesses also described a chaotic scene as police arrested Brandon McQuillen outside one of the homes in the neighborhood.
Wendy Wilburn, a local resident, recalled witnessing the arrest. “I was scared to death, honestly, because my husband wasn’t home,” she said. “Just knowing that there was nothing he could do, to come on the block.”
Police have not yet confirmed whether Brandon McQuillen is the direct suspect in his father’s murder. However, the investigation is ongoing, with the Louisville Metro Police Department leading the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Middletown police are also assisting in the investigation.
Brandon McQuillen was entered with a not guilty plea during his court appearance on Thursday, where a judge set his bond at $10,000 in cash. He was also prohibited from possessing any firearms or weapons. His next court appearance is scheduled for March 21.
The community remains in shock, and many continue to reflect on the events that led to the tragic death of a well-liked local man, whose life was cut short under deeply unsettling circumstances. The investigation continues as authorities work to uncover the full details surrounding the homicide.
