Eric D. Cox, 43, of Southington, was sentenced on April 2 to 29 months in prison and two years of supervised release for firearm and narcotics offenses related to a 2020 shooting in Hartford, according to David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
The case highlights ongoing concerns about gun violence and illegal drug activity in the Hartford area. The incident began with a violent altercation near Hartford Hospital on September 4, 2020. During the confrontation, Cox was slashed with a knife before he pulled out a gun and fired multiple shots at his assailant and others nearby. This resulted in a bystander being shot several times.
Hartford Police responded to the scene on Jefferson Street where they found cartridge casings linked to the shooting. A hospital employee later discovered a discarded .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol outside the emergency department entrance and notified law enforcement. Police searched Cox’s vehicle following the incident and found approximately 28 grams of cocaine inside a bag. Subsequent analysis confirmed that Cox’s DNA was present on the recovered firearm.
Cox has a prior federal conviction from 2008 for distributing crack cocaine. On November 21, 2025, he was found guilty by a jury of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon as well as possession of cocaine.
Cox is currently released on $100,000 bond but must report to prison on August 6. The other individual involved in the altercation was prosecuted separately by the Hartford State’s Attorney’s Office.
The investigation into this matter involved multiple agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration, Hartford Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert S. Dearington and Mary G. Vitale prosecuted this case.