State Police trooper, Marine credited for heroism during Cambridge shooting

Added: 2026-05-20

[00:00:00]New tonight, officials are cautiously optimistic two men randomly shot by a gunman on Memorial Drive will make a full recovery. And as they heal from critical injuries, there are more questions about how the suspect got his hands on an assault style rifle. Thanks for being with us tonight. I'm Lisa Hughes.

[00:00:19]>> And I'm David Wade. Tonight, we know the man accused of shooting into passing cars and nearby buildings had left a psychiatric hospital just days earlier.

[00:00:27]Over the next half hour, we will dig into the suspect's background and criminal history, find out what happened in the moments leading up to the shooting. We're going to speak to a family member of one of the victims, and hear from officials who say this incomprehensible violence could have been prevented. Our team coverage starts tonight with Julie McDonald in Cambridge.

[00:00:50]Praise tonight for a Marine and state trooper who responded to this terrifying situation yesterday. Investigators remain amazed that no one was killed and hopeful that both victims will fully recover.

[00:01:04]>> We saw when called upon heroism that in my 30 plus years in law enforcement um represents the arguably the most heroic thing I've ever seen. Massachusetts highest leaders in law enforcement fear the shooting spree across Memorial Drive in Cambridge Monday would have been more dire, even deadly, had it not been for the courage and quick thinking of a Marine veteran and responding state trooper.

[00:01:29]>> Many people who were in the other cars reporting that he was the person knocking on windows, telling them to go, trying to direct them in a way that would not put them on the line of fire.

[00:01:40]>> District Attorney Marian Ryan said she is cautiously optimistic. Both victims will fully recover. The uncle of one of those men, a Cambridge neighbor shot multiple times while moving his car, told WBZ he is hopeful after his nephew's surgery.

[00:01:55]>> That's the information I believe that give me the courage. If he's talking, they got to do some other surgeries. I pray God that he be okay. We pray for everybody to that's the most important thing going to be okay.

[00:02:09]Also in the hospital, shooting suspect Tyler Brown, who investigators say had relapsed on drugs when he fired off more than 60 rounds across Busy Memorial Drive. According to a new police report, just hours before the shooting on a FaceTime call with his parole officer, Brown allegedly showed off his rifle and described himself as no longer being Tyler Brown, saying he was now repping his shooter name, saying he's not going back to jail and making suicidal statements. The police report confirms Tyler Brown had been released from Mlan Psychiatric Hospital 3 days prior and was diagnosed with PTSD, anxiety, and depression. The 46-year-old Brown has a lengthy criminal history, including drug charges, assault, and battery with a knife, and shooting at police officers for which he pleaded guilty and served time in Cambridge. I'm Julie McDonald, WBZ News.

[00:03:07]>> Julie, thank you. The suspect served about 5 years behind bars for that previous confrontation with police and had court-ordered mental health treatments, but the prosecutor who put him away argued that he should still be in prison to this day. Brandon Truit takes a closer look at the controversial sentence.

[00:03:25]>> It's easy to say, give somebody 100 years, but it's not justice. As a clearer picture of the Memorial Drive shooter comes into focus, so do questions on how someone with his record was out to begin with. Court records show us 46-year-old Tyler Brown recently ended his time behind bars for a shootout with police in 2020. In 2021, a judge sentenced Brown to 5 to 6 years in prison. That sentence is up.

[00:03:53]>> I'm devastated to see what happened in Cambridge. Right. Former US Attorney Rachel Rollins was the district attorney who prosecuted Brown's 2020 shooting.

[00:04:01]She's now running for that same post again. Her team pushed for double the sentencing, requesting 10 to 12 years, worried he would do it again, but the judge declined.

[00:04:12]>> We were thoughtful and measured when we came up with that number. Um, and I was so disappointed in the sentence, quite frankly, from the bench that I issued a press release, which is very, very rare.

[00:04:27]>> But retired judge Jack Lou, who was not affiliated with the case, says the sentencing in Brown's 2020 trial was textbook and followed proper guidelines set out by state law.

[00:04:38]>> It was not a failure of the justice system. It was the proper functioning of the justice system. L suggests mental health resources should be examined in this case. Court records show us Brown was just released from a psychiatric hospital on Friday, 3 days before he started his rampage in Cambridge.

[00:04:56]>> What happened today cannot stand.

[00:04:58]>> Hours after the shooting, Middle Sex County District Attorney Maryanne Ryan referenced a bill around the so-called reckless discharge of a weapon, but it's struggling to pass the legislature.

[00:05:09]House Bill 1656 would punish anyone without regard for the risk of serious bodily injury who intentionally or recklessly discharges a firearm, even if they don't hit the person. If passed, it could have applied to Brown's previous case and added up to 5 years of prison time per charge.

[00:05:28]>> That is a bill we filed for the last four sessions. It has not been passed >> and we're told Brown will face a judge in this case as soon as his recovery allows. Prosecutors are ready to file at least six weapons and assault charges against him in Cambridge. Brandon Tru, WBC News.

[00:05:44]>> Thank you. And one key unanswered question tonight is where did the suspect get the gun? Tyler Brown doesn't have a gun license. District Attorney Ryan says her office is investigating where that assault style rifle came from. Tom Greco, the special agent in charge of ATF in Boston, says that type of rifle can be tracked. Guns are certainly rarer and they can go for a higher price depending on the dealer.

[00:06:10]>> He says it is possible the weapon and the ammunition were stolen or brought in from another state. David >> Lisa, over the past 24 hours, the WBZ team has tirelessly looked into every angle of this story. You can watch interviews with the witnesses, read our coverage of the suspect's previous crimes, and more right now on wbz.com.