KC Reporter

A federal grand jury has indicted a Joplin, Missouri man for possessing a firearm following a shooting incident in the city. Andrew M. Reed, 22, faces charges for being a felon in possession of a firearm. This indictment replaces an earlier federal criminal complaint filed on July 2, 2025.

According to court documents, police responded to gunfire near 5th and Joplin Avenue on February 15, 2025. Officers discovered several spent cartridge casings and a firearm with an extended magazine loaded with matching ammunition. Surveillance footage identified Reed as the individual hiding the weapon.

Reed's previous felony convictions prohibit him from possessing firearms under federal law. The indictment itself is not evidence of guilt; the charges will be evaluated by a federal trial jury tasked with determining his guilt or innocence.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony M. Brown is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Joplin Police Department.

The case is part of Operation Take Back America, an initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at combating illegal immigration and dismantling criminal organizations while protecting communities from violent crime.