COLUMBUS, Ohio — Two men arrested Monday in connection with a weekend shooting that wounded nine people inside a Cincinnati nightclub now face federal charges, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the southern district of Ohio said Tuesday.
Franeek Cobb, 24, and Derrick Long, 29, each face federal charges for illegally possessing a firearm or ammunition as an individual convicted of a felony.
Prosecutors said in a news release that surveillance footage from Riverfront Live, where the shooting took place, shows both men firing weapons early Sunday morning. Cobb observed Long inside the venue, pulled out a firearm and began firing at him, according to an affidavit the statement said. Long fell to the ground, then allegedly began firing at Cobb.
The attorney's office said ballistic evidence collected from the scene showed only two firearms were discharged during the shooting.
“Our top priority is protecting our communities and holding accountable those who threaten them,” U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II said in the statement. “If you pull a trigger in an illegal act of violence or otherwise illegally possess a firearm or ammunition, rest assured we will do everything we can to send you to federal prison.”
Earlier Tuesday, Cobb was arraigned in Hamilton County Municipal Court on local charges of felonious assault in the shooting. He showed no emotion as he walked into the courtroom.
During the arraignment, Hamilton County Assistant Prosecutor Connor Wood said Cobb had a “long-standing grudge” against an unidentified victim in the case, and when Cobb saw the victim inside the venue, he “immediately” opened fire, causing injuries to multiple people.
“There was no interaction between the parties leading up to this,” Wood said.
Long, who also faces local charges in the shooting, did not appear in court on Tuesday. Records show he is charged with felonious assault and allege he “knowingly possessed and discharged a firearm” at Riverfront Live, where several people were injured as a result.
A phone message and email left for Anna Mallory, who is listed as Cobb’s attorney, were not immediately returned Tuesday. Court records did not list an attorney for Long, and phone calls to numbers listed under his name also were not immediately returned.
Sunday's shooting happened around 1 a.m. inside Riverfront Live along the Ohio River in the city's east end. Officers responding to reports of gunfire found nine people with gunshot wounds.
All were taken to hospitals and are in stable condition, officials said.
The gunfire erupted during a birthday celebration hosted by Jermaine Tandy, also known as DJ Fresh, according to a post on his Facebook page. Management representing Tandy said in a statement they were “devastated” by the violence, calling it a “senseless act.”
Witness Anton Canady told The Associated Press he heard what sounded like a fight before shots rang out. As people rushed toward the exits, Canady's girlfriend fell, and he laid on top of her to prevent her from being trampled.
“I don’t think it was like they was doing it purposely or intentionally, I just think nobody wanted to die in there,” he said.
When he got outside, Canady learned his cousin was one of the people shot. He said he used cloth from a nearby car to apply pressure to her wounds until first responders arrived. He later spoke with her and said she was “doing good” but in shock.
The Cincinnati Police Department’s homicide unit, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are working together on the investigation.
Though the shooting occurred almost simultaneously with a deadly bar shooting in Austin, Texas, an ATF spokesperson said earlier this week that it was not believed to be an act of terrorism.
Riverfront Live sits along the Ohio River, not far from the popular Riverbend Music Center, which is closed in winter. The property is best known as the former site of Annie's, an iconic rock club that hosted well-known rock and heavy metal groups in the 1990s and early 2000s. It has had other names over the years and was rebranded Riverfront Live in 2018 after gaining attention for criminal activity.
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