A Southington man has been found guilty of federal charges tied to an incident in Hartford in 2020 where he fired a gun at someone and shot a bystander multiple times.
Following a trial, a federal grand jury in New Haven returned a guilty verdict against 42-year-old Eric D. Cox last Friday, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut.
He was found guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and possession of cocaine, officials said. He is free on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing, when he faces a maximum of 12 years in prison.
The charges stem from a shooting on Sept. 4, 2020, near Hartford Hospital. Federal officials said Cox engaged in a “violent altercation” with an individual who used a knife to slash him. Cox, officials said, pulled out a gun and fired multiple shots at the individual and others in the area, shooting a bystander multiple times.
Investigators with the Hartford Police Department responded to the area and found several cartridge casings on Jefferson Street where the incident occurred, officials said. A hospital employee found a discarded .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol outside the entrance of the emergency department and notified police.
An analysis of the firearm later reportedly showed that DNA matching Cox was on the gun, officials said. Police searched Cox’s car after the incident and reportedly found a bag containing about 28 grams of cocaine, according to officials.
Federal authorities noted that Cox’s previous criminal history includes a federal conviction in 2008 for a crack cocaine distribution offense. He received five years in prison in that case.
The other individual involved in the altercation was prosecuted by the Hartford State’s Attorney’s Office.