A Marine Corps veteran carrying a concealed firearm stepped in alongside Massachusetts State Police on Monday to stop an alleged gunman who opened fire in broad daylight on a busy Cambridge roadway, authorities said.
According to the Daily Caller, Cambridge Police reported that at approximately 1:00 p.m. EDT, Boston Police alerted them to a man behaving erratically and believed to be armed with a rifle in the area. State Police soon encountered what was described as an active shooter scene, confronting the suspect with the assistance of the armed veteran, who was legally carrying under a concealed carry permit.
After being confronted, the suspect allegedly continued to fire the weapon striking the State Police Cruiser, Cambridge police said in the statement. Both the civilian and the Trooper fired their weapons and the suspect was struck multiple times in the extremities. The suspect was treated on scene by police officers and transported to a Boston hospital. Authorities indicated that the rapid response by both the trooper and the armed citizen likely prevented further bloodshed on Memorial Drive.
Video obtained by CBS News Boston showed the gunman brazenly firing a rifle while on Memorial Drive, with authorities saying at least 60 rounds were fired. The civilian who aided law enforcement has been described by multiple media outlets as a former Marine who had a concealed carry permit, underscoring once again how trained, law-abiding gun owners can play a critical role when government cannot be everywhere at once.
The suspect was identified as 46-year-old Tyler Brown, a repeat offender with a substantial criminal history. A 2021 release from the Suffolk County District Attorneys office noted that Brown previously received a five-to-six-year prison sentence for firing multiple rounds at police officers in 2020.
In that May 2020 incident, Brown fired a .40-caliber Glock at a police officer, ultimately firing at least 13 rounds, while police returned fire. Brown later pled guilty to multiple crimes, including armed assault with intent to murder, yet was back on the streets within a few short years.
Brown currently is being held while being treated at the hospital and could be charged with two counts of armed assault with intent to murder, the Cambridge Police Department said. The Cambridge Police Department did not respond to a request for additional comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation, leaving unanswered why a man with such a violent record was free to allegedly unleash another attackand highlighting the growing concern that lenient criminal justice policies endanger both police and the public, absent the courage of citizens willing to defend their communities.
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