Franeek Cobb, Illegal Gun Possession, Ohio 2024

Two Cincinnati men are facing federal charges for allegedly possessing firearms as convicted felons following a mass shooting at Riverfront Live on March 1.

Franeek Cobb, 24, and Derrick Long, 29, were identified as the alleged shooters in a review of surveillance footage from the night club and event venue.

A handgun was seized from Cobb after he allegedly dropped it at the bar while fleeing the scene. The ATF determined that casings recovered from the area where Long was shooting were all fired from the same .45 caliber gun, according to charging documents.

Cobb and Long are prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to their prior convictions. Cobb has a 2022 felony conviction of having weapons while under disability, while Long has several prior felony convictions, including two separate cases involving trafficking in heroin and fentanyl, failure to comply, carrying concealed weapons, arson, and receiving stolen property.

Each defendant faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted. The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II, ATF Special Agent in Charge Jorge Rosendo, and other law enforcement officials.

The investigation was a collaborative effort between the Cincinnati Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, and prosecutors with the United States Attorney’s Office.

The case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative aimed at protecting communities from violent crime and repelling the invasion of cartels and transnational criminal organizations.

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