A 46-year-old Boston man, identified as Tyler Brown, is accused of opening fire on passing vehicles along Memorial Drive in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Monday afternoon. Authorities said Brown was later shot and injured by a Massachusetts State Police trooper and a civilian before being taken into custody.
Two people traveling in separate vehicles were struck by gunfire and transported to Boston hospitals with life-threatening injuries.
Brown has a lengthy criminal history dating back to 2008, including a conviction for cocaine distribution. In 2020, he faced charges related to an alleged attempt to kill Boston police officers. He later pleaded guilty to eight offenses, including armed assault with intent to murder and attempted assault and battery involving the discharge of a firearm after allegedly shooting at a Boston police officer.
According to sources familiar with the investigation, Boston police circulated an officer safety bulletin featuring Brown’s photograph Monday morning. Around 12:30 p.m., officers reportedly attempted a wellness check at his Dorchester residence after his parole officer alerted police that Brown had made suicidal comments.
Investigators also said Brown was allegedly seen during a FaceTime call holding what appeared to be an assault-style rifle and threatening to use it. The bulletin further noted that his cellphone had been traced to Cambridge.
Soon afterward, witnesses recorded videos showing Brown walking in the middle of Memorial Drive carrying a long gun. In the footage, he allegedly appears to threaten motorists, wave the weapon, and fire shots both at vehicles and into the air. Witnesses said the incident ended after Brown was shot and arrested.
Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan confirmed Brown remains hospitalized in intensive care while in police custody.
Court records show Brown was already on probation during the 2020 shooting incident, stemming from a 2014 conviction involving assault and battery with a knife and witness intimidation. In 2021, he received a sentence of five to six years in state prison followed by probation, along with court-ordered mental health treatment and evaluations.
At the time, then-Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins criticized the sentence as too lenient. She argued that prosecutors had sought a prison term of 10 to 12 years due to what she described as the severity and boldness of the violence involved.
Brown ultimately served about three and a half years before being released from prison on May 21, 2025.