2 men arrested in Cincinnati nightclub shooting are facing federal
charges
[March 04, 2026]
By PATRICK AFTOORA-ORSAGOS
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — 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.
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This image taken from video taken provided by WCPO shows first
responders outside of Riverfront Live on Sunday, March 1, 2026, in
Cincinnati, Ohio. (WCPO via AP)
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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