A gunman who opened fire at cars on Memorial Drive in Cambridge, Massachusetts Monday afternoon was shot by a responding State Police trooper and a civilian. Two men in separate cars were shot and have life-threatening injuries.
The suspect, 46-year-old Tyler Brown, is in custody and is being treated for gunshot wounds at a hospital.
It happened around 1:30 p.m. near the intersection of River Street. Videos from witnesses show the gunman walking down the middle of the street firing and waving a rifle.
According to I-Team sources, a photo of Brown was included in an officer safety bulletin that went out Monday morning. At about 12:30, police officers attempted to do a wellbeing check at his home in Dorchester after his parole officer reported to police that he made a suicidal statement.
Shortly after 1 p.m., Cambridge Police received a 911 call from Boston Police about Brown, who was believed to be in possession of a rifle.
Courtesy photo 
Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said when officers responded to the area, “it was already an active shooter situation.”
Brown was walking down the middle of Memorial Drive, firing the rifle in “an erratic fashion at various vehicles along the road,” Ryan said.
Ryan said 50-60 rounds were fired and at least a dozen vehicles were struck by gunfire. Two men in separate vehicles were shot and are currently being treated for life-threatening injuries.
As people were scattering from their cars, Ryan said a State Police trooper and a civilian, a former Marine who has a license to carry a firearm, went towards the suspect with their weapons.
“Both the trooper and the civilian fired their weapons, and that suspect was struck multiple times in the extremities,” Ryan said. Troopers provided first aid to Brown and the two victims who were struck before they were taken to the hospital. Ryan said the trooper’s cruiser was also struck by gunfire.
Brown is facing several charges including two counts of armed assault with intent to murder. It is unclear when he will be arraigned.
Anyone with video of the shooting is asked to contact Massachusetts State Police.
“I was running for my life”
Three witnesses told WBZ-TV that they were driving on Memorial Drive when the man began shooting. One driver said he stopped his car, crouched in the vehicle and the gunman hit his radiator. The man’s coworker was driving in front of him, and said the gunman also hit the headlight of that car.
“Got out, walked up to the car in front of me to my coworker to see what was going on. Saw the dude in the street lifting [the gun] up at me,” the man who witnessed the shootout said. “I dipped back into my car and ducked behind my dashboard. My buddy got out, he ran for it. State trooper pulled up directly on the side of me, got out, got behind his car right in front of my driver’s side mirror, got in the gunfight with him.”
A woman in a small school van was driving on her way to pick up children with special needs when the gunshots began. She said she crouched alongside another woman who was in the van. The two women said they jumped out of the van and fled through the nearby bushes.
“I ran through the bushes and fell in here, and ran all the way down the street. And then they took me in this building over here because I was all shook and everything. Because I was running for my life,” one of the women said, adding she heard at least 15 or more shots.
All of the witnesses described a Massachusetts State Police trooper arriving and – within seconds – engaging the gunman, before shooting the suspect multiple times.
CBS Boston 
Traffic in Cambridge impacted
Drivers are being asked to avoid the area as a large portion of Memorial Drive and the surrounding area is marked off with police tape and closed to traffic.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said she is monitoring the situation as Massachusetts State Police investigate along with local police.
“There is no ongoing threat to the public. However, residents and commuters are strongly encouraged to avoid the area to allow public safety personnel to do their work,” Healey said. “Grateful to first responders who worked quickly to keep people safe and secure the scene.”
One car appears to have come to a stop off the road against a tree.
At least 15 Massachusetts State Police cruisers and Cambridge police officers were on scene.
A woman who lives in a nearby apartment building said she was sitting on her 10th floor balcony when she heard several gunshots, describing them as being fired in rapid succession. Joseph-Minino Rodriguez was on the 18th floor of the building. He said he heard about 30 shots, and saw the gunman screaming in the road.
Memorial Drive is located along the Charles River in Cambridge, minutes from Boston.
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