Crime
Tyler Brown allegedly opened fire on one of Cambridge’s busiest roadways, seriously injuring two people before being shot himself.
Tyler Brown was accompanied by public defenders Carolyn McGowan (left) and Josina Raisler-Cohn during his dangerousness hearing. He is recovering from gunshot wounds and appeared virtually for his hearing. Cambridge District Court
Tyler Brown, the man accused of opening fire on Memorial Drive in Cambridge earlier this month, was found to be dangerous and ordered held without bail after a hearing Thursday.
Brown attended his Cambridge District Court hearing virtually, appearing masked in his hotel bed alongside his lawyers. He has been recovering from gunshot wounds he received during the shooting spree.
Brown, 46, faces six felony charges and two misdemeanor charges, including assault to murder and attempted assault and battery with a firearm.
Prosecutors played a minute-long video in the courtroom Thursday, which showed Brown allegedly firing at random passersby on Memorial Drive, The Boston Globe reported. Assistant Middlesex District Attorney Nicole Allain asked District Court Judge David Frank to find Brown dangerous and keep him in custody, citing the video and Brown’s extensive criminal history.
Brown’s attorneys declined to contest the dangerousness request but said that they would set forth a “robust, and complete defense” at trial, according to footage from WCVB.
Two people were seriously injured in the attack, which occurred along a popular stretch of roadway that is often filled with pedestrians and motorists.
One victim, who was driving a van at the time, reversed directions and was hit by a bullet in the back of the head after it traveled through the vehicle. He drove himself to the hospital, underwent treatment, and has since been discharged. Another victim was shot directly through his car window by Brown and has also been released from the hospital, Allain said in court.
One victim has been identified as Casimir Bangoura, who was heading to a local car wash at the time of the shooting. He was shot more than five times in his legs and suffered a broken femur. Relatives of the other victim have identified him to the media only as “Felix.” He is a father of eight who works for Veterans Transportation, a company that the MBTA contracts to provide paratransit services, according to reports in the Globe.
Brown has a long history of assault, firearm, and drug charges. At the time of the shooting, he was on probation for a 2020 incident where he shot several rounds at police officers in the South End. Prosecutors asked for Brown to be sentenced to 10 to 12 years in prison, but Judge Janet Sanders instead sentenced Brown to five to six years. Sanders has since retired.
Brown was released from psychiatric care at McLean Hospital a few days before the shooting. He had been previously diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression, Boston.com previously reported.
On the day of the attack, Brown allegedly waved a semi-automatic rifle at his parole officer over a FaceTime call, saying “these people are gonna f—ing pay” and “I’m not going back to prison,” according to a criminal complaint. The same day, someone living in the same rooming house as Brown told police that he was “off his rocker” and had been “getting high all night.”
Brown’s parole officer contacted Boston police about an hour before the shooting, saying that Brown was “a known crack cocaine user” who “had relapsed and was ready to end his life” before a scheduled drug test, according to the complaint.
During the shooting, a State Police trooper and an armed civilian who is a Marine veteran fired back at Brown. He was shot multiple times in his extremities. Brown appeared sedated and offered little reaction during his arraignment last week.
Ross Cristantiello
Ross Cristantiello, a general assignment news reporter for Boston.com since 2022, covers local politics, crime, the environment, and more.
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