A gunman wielding an assault rifle unleashed chaos on a busy street in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Monday, firing up to 60 rounds at passing vehicles and leaving two people with life-threatening injuries. The incident occurred along Memorial Drive, a major thoroughfare running parallel to the Charles River and close to Harvard University, at approximately 1:20 p.m. local time.
Panic and Chaos on Memorial Drive
Drivers were forced to abandon their cars and flee for safety as the shooter, later identified as 46-year-old Tyler Brown, discharged his weapon indiscriminately. Witnesses described scenes of terror and confusion. Joseph Minino Rodriguez, who watched from his apartment balcony, said, “I thought this was a video game. He didn’t give a f***. He didn’t care.”
Authorities reported that Brown fired between 50 and 60 rounds during the attack. Eyewitness Adonna Simpson-Correia, a school bus driver, recounted the moment the gunman turned his weapon on her vehicle. “He pointed his, it looked like a machine gun, at my windshield. We both got out and ran, and he kept shooting,” she told The Boston Globe. A bus monitor, Lisa Schill, added, “The police told me to run for cover but he was still popping. So I ran, and fell, and then ran down the street.”
Response and Apprehension
The shooter was eventually stopped when a state trooper and an armed civilian, a former Marine, returned fire. Brown was hit during the exchange and taken to hospital in intensive care. A large section of Memorial Drive was sealed off, with over a dozen police vehicles and helicopters hovering overhead.
Middlesex District Attorney Marian T. Ryan confirmed that Brown would face multiple charges, including two counts of armed assault with intent to murder and weapons possession offenses. She stated, “What happened today cannot stand.” Ryan also noted that Brown was on probation for previous crimes and was under supervision.
Suspect’s Criminal History
According to reports, Brown had a lengthy criminal record. In May 2020, he fired 13 rounds at Boston police officers before being subdued and later pleaded guilty to attempted murder in 2021, receiving a sentence of five to six years in state prison followed by probation. He was also on probation for a 2014 conviction involving assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and witness intimidation.
The attack site, near Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is popular with commuters, joggers, and cyclists. Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey reassured residents that the danger had passed but urged them to avoid the area to allow emergency services to operate.
Witness Accounts
Other witnesses described the rapid succession of shots. Sharon Young, a driver forced to flee, said, “He let off probably 10 shots within 15 seconds. As I got to about this tree, state troopers were coming in on different sides, like seven people on foot coming in.” Boston University lecturer Todd Czubek, who was driving along Memorial Drive, recalled hearing the shots and thinking, “I was like, ‘What the heck?’ I’m like, ‘This is the guy with a machine gun shooting.’”
The two victims remain in hospital with life-threatening injuries. Authorities continue to investigate the incident.
