Cincinnati, Ohio – A 30-year-old Cincinnati man identified as one of two alleged shooters involved in a mass shooting at Riverfront Live has pleaded guilty to a federal ammunition offense after investigators determined that he fired multiple rounds into a crowd during an altercation.
Derrick Long admitted in U.S. District Court to illegally possessing ammunition despite having previous felony convictions that prohibited him from doing so.
The guilty plea follows an investigation into the shooting at the Riverfront Live nightclub and event venue on Kellogg Avenue in Cincinnati, where nine people suffered injuries.
Long faces up to 15 years in federal prison for the offense.
U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II announced the guilty plea and emphasized the federal government’s commitment to prosecuting violent crimes.
“The plea today holds Long accountable for his part in the mass shooting at Riverfront Live in Cincinnati,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II. “My Office is dedicated to pursuing federal charges against those who wreak havoc on our communities through acts of violence. We will continue to charge and prosecute these cases to completion.”
Surveillance footage helped investigators identify two alleged shooters
According to court documents, Cincinnati police officers were dispatched to Riverfront Live after receiving reports of gunfire inside the nightclub and event venue.
The shooting left nine individuals wounded, prompting an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the violence and the people responsible.
Investigators examined surveillance recordings from the establishment and identified Long as one of two alleged shooters.
The second individual was identified as 24-year-old Franeek Cobb.
Court documents indicate that Long and Cobb became involved in an altercation before the gunfire.
During that confrontation, Long displayed a firearm and fired into the crowd, discharging at least eight rounds of ammunition.
The investigation connected Long to the shooting, ultimately leading to the federal ammunition charge to which he has now pleaded guilty.
Cobb is also facing federal prosecution. He has been charged with illegally possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon.
However, the charges against Cobb remain pending, and he has not been convicted in connection with those allegations.
Long has several previous felony convictions
Federal authorities also highlighted Long’s criminal history, which includes multiple felony convictions involving drugs, weapons and other offenses.
According to prosecutors, Long previously faced convictions in two separate cases involving trafficking in heroin, trafficking in fentanyl, failure to comply, carrying concealed weapons, arson and receiving stolen property.
His status as a previously convicted felon prohibited him from legally possessing firearms or ammunition.
Federal law allows a prison sentence of up to 15 years for a person convicted of unlawfully possessing a firearm or ammunition after a felony conviction.
Long entered his guilty plea before Senior U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett.
A sentencing date was not included in the information released by federal authorities.
Federal and local agencies worked together on investigation
The guilty plea was announced by several law enforcement officials, including U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II for the Southern District of Ohio.
Other officials involved in the announcement were Jorge Rosendo, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Cincinnati Interim Police Chief Adam Henni; and Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Cincinnati Division.
Members of the ATF and Cincinnati Police Department Crime Gun Intelligence Center also participated in the investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Ashley N. Brucato is representing the federal government in the case.
Long’s guilty plea resolves the federal ammunition charge against him, although his prison sentence has yet to be determined.
Meanwhile, the separate federal firearm case against Cobb remains pending as authorities continue the legal proceedings connected to the shooting that wounded nine people at Riverfront Live.
