United States v. Laindrell Cooper

── United States v. Laindrell Cooper ── Court: Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit Date: May 19, 2026 Category: General United States Court of Appeals For the Eighth Circuit ___________________________ No. 25-2152 ___________________________ United States of America Plaintiff - Appellee v. Laindrell Myquail Cooper, also known as Kuddo Defendant - Appellant ____________ Appeal from United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa - Eastern ____________ Submitted: April 17, 2026 Filed: May 19, 2026 ____________ Before SMITH, BENTON, and ERICKSON, Circuit Judges. ____________ BENTON, Circuit Judge. Laindrell Myquail Cooper pled guilty to possessing ammunition as a felon in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). The district court 1 sentenced him 1 The Honorable C.J. Williams, Chief Judge, United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa. to 160 months in prison. He appeals. Having jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291, this court affirms. I. On November 18, 2022, Quintorey Kemp was in downtown Waterloo, Iowa. Kemp, a member of the “Only the Brothers” (OTB) gang, often carried a firearm and had been in multiple shootings. Law enforcement called him a “known shooter.” At a downtown barbershop, Kemp confronted Andrew Spates and Keivon Anderson, members of the rival gang “All About Action” (ABA), flashing his firearm. Kemp then sat in a car outside the barbershop. Learning of the confrontation, Cooper, also an ABA member, left for the barbershop, driven by Ariouna Brown. He wore all-black clothing and a face mask showing only his eyes. He asked to be dropped off at a parking garage a block and a half from the barbershop. Traffic cameras showed him looking around as he walked to the barbershop. Arriving, Cooper entered and then exited the barbershop. Brown’s car was waiting outside. Anderson walked to the car and opened the back door. But Cooper did not get in. Kemp exited his car and walked to the sidewalk. Spates and Anderson saw him, pointed to him, and then took cover. Kemp had a firearm in his hand, shielded from Cooper’s view. Cooper walked to the middle of the street, with buses between him and Kemp. When Cooper was at the back of the second bus, Kemp crouched behind a pickup truck and then turned to run. Cooper came around the bus, firing with a high-capacity magazine at Kemp as he fled. Kendrick Brown, Kemp’s cousin who was also at the scene, began firing at Cooper. But Cooper continued to pursue Kemp. Kemp fled towards a storefront vestibule. Cooper continued firing, then fled into an alley. -2-  Cooper was charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and one count of possession of ammunition by a felon. He pled guilty to the second count and now appeals. II. Cooper asserts his conviction under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) is facially unconstitutional under the Second Amendment. This argument is foreclosed by binding precedent. See United States v. Cunningham, 114 F.4th 671, 675 (8th Cir. 2024) (“The longstanding prohibition on possession of firearms by felons is constitutional.”); United States v. Jackson, 110 F.4th 1120, 1125 (8th Cir. 2024) (holding “there is no need for felony-by-felony litigation regarding the constitutionality of § 922(g)(1)”). III. Cooper believes the district court erred by cross-referencing U.S.S.G. § 2A2.1(a)(2), the attempt