Cincinnati Man Admits to Illegal Ammunition Possession in Nightclub Shooting

Derrick Long, 30, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court on Friday to illegally possessing ammunition while a convicted felon. The charge relates to a mass shooting that occurred on March 1 at Riverfront Live, a nightclub and event venue located at 4343 Kellogg Ave. in Cincinnati.

Cincinnati police responded to the venue that night after receiving a report of a shooting inside. Nine people sustained injuries during the incident. Authorities later confirmed that the group of injured individuals included the two alleged shooters and seven bystanders. All victims suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Court documents state that Long was identified as one of the shooters through a review of surveillance video. During an altercation with the other suspect, Franeek Cobb, 24, Long brandished a firearm and fired into the crowd. He discharged at least eight rounds of ammunition.

Long’s criminal history includes several prior felony convictions. These records list offenses such as trafficking heroin and fentanyl, failing to comply with orders, carrying concealed weapons, arson, and receiving stolen property.

Cobb faces a separate federal charge for illegally possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. U.S. Attorney Dominick Gerace II stated that the plea holds Long accountable for his role in the shooting. Gerace added that his office remains dedicated to pursuing federal charges against individuals who commit acts of violence in the community.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio announced the guilty plea on Friday. Long entered the plea in connection with the specific ammunition charge, distinct from the firearm possession charge brought against Cobb.