A violent criminal who fired at Boston police in 2020 was released early from prison despite prosecutors requesting 10 to 12 years. Three years later, Tyler Brown opened fire on innocent drivers in Cambridge, leaving two people fighting for their lives in critical condition.

From Prison Release to Public Rampage

Brown sprayed 50 to 60 rounds along Memorial Drive around 1:30 p.m. Monday afternoon, striking two innocent drivers who remain hospitalized in critical condition. A Massachusetts State Police trooper shot Brown multiple times, ending the rampage. The 60-round attack occurred just minutes after Boston police issued an alert. Brown’s parole officer had contacted authorities after witnessing him brandishing a rifle during a FaceTime call while making suicidal statements. Officers conducting a wellness check at his Dorchester home watched as Brown fled across the river and began his deadly assault.

During the shooting, an MBTA bus driver was shot in the head, according to family members. A mail truck was also hit by gunfire, though the driver escaped injury. Witnesses abandoned their vehicles and ran for cover, with some hiding underneath their cars. A former Marine with a concealed carry permit assisted the responding trooper in stopping the threat. A bullet struck the front of the cruiser driven by the officer who engaged Brown.

The 2020 Police Shootout and Lenient Sentence

In May 2020, Brown engaged Boston police in a broad daylight shootout after officers responded to reports of a man with a gun. He fired 13 rounds at close range at officers attempting to speak with him. No officers were hit, but Brown was arrested after a violent struggle. He pleaded guilty in August 2021 to eight felony charges, including armed assault with intent to murder a police officer. Suffolk County prosecutors under then-District Attorney Rachael Rollins requested 10 to 12 years in state prison for the attack.

Instead, Suffolk Superior Court Judge Janet L. Sanders sentenced Brown to just 5 to 6 years, with credit for 534 days already served. Brown was released on parole after serving approximately three years and remained under GPS monitoring at the time of Monday’s shooting. One Boston police officer Brown attempted to kill wrote a victim-impact statement warning that Brown would hurt or kill someone upon release. That prediction proved tragically accurate.

District Attorney’s Warning Goes Unheeded

District Attorney Rollins issued a press release at the time of Brown’s 2021 sentencing, stating her office stood by its request for a significantly longer prison term. The prosecutors emphasized that Brown brazenly attempted to kill police officers responding to a 911 call, firing nearly three times as many bullets as two officers did in response. Brown now faces multiple charges including two counts of armed assault with intent to murder, weapons offenses, and additional felonies. Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan confirmed Brown remains hospitalized under custody after being shot by the trooper who stopped his rampage.