The shooting began shortly after 1 p.m. between River Street and Pleasant Street Extension, according to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office. Cambridge police received a call from Boston police reporting that a man, later identified as the suspect, might be in Cambridge and had been acting erratically. Boston police also reported the suspect was believed to have a rifle.
When Massachusetts State Police arrived, they described an active shooter situation and found the suspect walking east along the roadway. The suspect was found armed with a rifle and firing erratically at vehicles, authorities said.
“The preliminary investigation indicates that upwards of 60 rounds were fired within a very short period of time,” the attorney’s office said. “The suspect created an extraordinarily dangerous situation during a busy part of the afternoon where innocent people were driving their vehicles, walking, biking and rowing on the river.”
“They don’t know where they are going to be safe,” Ryan said. “When troopers arrived, we discovered some individuals actually under their car, having tried to seek a safe place.”
The two victims, who are not known to the suspect, have been hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, and individuals involved have also asked that their privacy be respected, according to the attorney’s office.
Authorities identified the suspect as Tyler Brown, 46, of Boston. Officials said he shot both victims before a state trooper and a legally armed civilian, a former Marine, confronted him.
According to Ryan, the trooper and the civilian ran toward the suspect. The suspect kept firing, hitting a Massachusetts State Police cruiser. The trooper and the civilian returned fire, striking the suspect multiple times.
“Brown is currently in custody at the hospital and is expected to be charged with two counts of armed assault with intent to murder and firearms offenses,” the attorney’s office said.
Ryan said officials believe Brown had recently moved to the area and was under supervision by the Massachusetts Probation Department or the Department of Law. She said more information about his criminal background would be released at his arraignment, but confirmed he had been on probation or parole.
“This incident lasted minutes thanks to the actions of that trooper and that civilian,” Ryan said.
The attorney’s office said the investigation is active and ongoing. Officials have asked anyone with any information or video of the incident to call State Police Detectives at 781-897-6600.