A 46-year-old career criminal with a long rap sheet, including a 2020 shootout in which he fired thirteen rounds at Boston police officers, was caught on video Monday afternoon walking down a major Boston-area roadway and indiscriminately opening fire on passing vehicles with a semi-automatic rifle.
Tyler Brown, of Dorchester, sprayed 50 to 60 rounds along Memorial Drive in Cambridge around 1:30 p.m. on Monday.
Two innocent drivers were struck and left in critical condition.
Brown continued firing until a Massachusetts State Police trooper shot him, ending the rampage.
A former Marine who was driving nearby also reportedly assisted in stopping the threat.
The shooting occurred just minutes after Boston police had issued an alert to Cambridge authorities. Brown’s parole officer had contacted police after seeing him on a FaceTime call brandishing a rifle and making suicidal statements. Officers were conducting a wellness check at his home when he fled across the river and began his attack on Memorial Drive.
Boston 25 News reports:
During the shooting, two people in separate vehicles were struck, including an MBTA bus driver. A family member told Boston25 the victim was shot in the head. A mail truck was also hit by gunfire, though the driver was not injured.
Both shooting victims remain hospitalized in critical condition.
Authorities said a state police trooper arriving at the scene, along with a civilian described as a former Marine licensed to carry a firearm, moved toward the suspect while shots were being fired. Officials said the suspect was struck multiple times in the lower extremities and treated at the scene.
According to Ryan, people abandoned their vehicles and ran in multiple directions as the shooting unfolded. Some individuals reportedly took cover underneath their cars. A bullet also struck the front of the cruiser driven by the officer involved in stopping the suspect.
Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan confirmed Brown is in custody and facing multiple charges, including two counts of armed assault with intent to murder, weapons offenses, and additional felonies.
Hellbound and Down 