Gunman sprays over 60 rounds of bullets at vehicles near Boston, wounding two

boston shooting Jessica RinaldiThe Boston Globe via AP

2 min readMay 12, 2026 09:51 PM IST

A 46-year-old man armed with an assault-style rifle opened fire on passing vehicles on a busy road in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Monday afternoon. The attack, which took place close to the Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, left two people injured.

The man, identified as Tyler Brown of Boston, was shot by a state trooper and a former Marine, authorities said, according to the Associated Press.

The shooting took place along a heavily travelled road near the Charles River. According to the AP report, prosecutors and Massachusetts State Police said the suspect walked down the roadway while firing randomly at passing cars.

Prosecutors said Brown fired more than 60 rounds during the attack. At least a dozen vehicles, including a state police cruiser, were hit by bullets.

Motorists fled from their vehicles as gunfire erupted. Some drivers abandoned their cars on the road, while others hid underneath vehicles for safety, the AP reported.

Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan, quoted by the AP, said, “While people were jumping from their cars, scattering in various directions … both that trooper and that civilian, rather than going in one direction, went toward the suspect with their weapons to try to end that situation.”

Two counts of armed assault with murder intent

Brown was shot multiple times in the extremities but he survived, prosecutors said. He is expected to face charges including two counts of armed assault with intent to murder and several firearm-related offences.

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Ryan said investigators found no evidence linking Brown to the victims targeted in the shooting. She also called for tougher penalties for people who fire weapons recklessly in public places.

Brown was not medically fit to appear in court for arraignment on Tuesday, the AP reported. The Committee for Public Counsel Services was appointed to represent him.

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