Man accused of wounding 2 drivers in Cambridge shooting pleads not
guilty
[May 15, 2026]
By HOLLY RAMER and MICHAEL CASEY
BOSTON (AP) — A man accused of wounding two drivers when he fired at
least 70 rounds from an assault-style weapon on a busy street near
Boston pleaded not guilty Thursday to assault and other charges.
Tyler Brown, 46, who appeared in Cambridge District Court via video from
a hospital bed, did not speak and appeared to have his eyes closed for
most of the brief hearing. He nodded when the judge said not guilty
pleas had been entered on his behalf to charges of armed assault with
intent to murder and six other charges, including possessing a gun
without a license.
Judge David Frank ordered him to remain in custody, either at the
hospital or in jail, pending a hearing on May 21. Brown's attorney,
Carolyn McGowan, declined to speak at the hearing other than answering
the judge's questions about scheduling matters. The Committee for Public
Counsel Services/Public Defender Division, where she is listed as a
senior trial counsel, did not respond to a request for comment.
Brown is accused of opening fire Monday afternoon on a heavily traveled
road along the Charles River in Cambridge. Panicked drivers abandoned
their vehicles or hid under them seeking cover.
One man, who was struck in the back of the head, has since been released
from the hospital, while another driver who was shot four times in the
leg remains hospitalized, Middlesex Assistant District Attorney Nicole
Allain said.
About an hour before the shootings, Brown connected with his parole
officer via video conference. Armed with a gun, he said on video that he
had relapsed and wanted to end his life. The parole officer called
police, who began searching for Brown and, using phone records, found
him in Cambridge.
The complaint describes what led up to the shootings. According to
investigators, Brown had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress
disorder, anxiety and depression and had been released Friday from a
psychiatric hospital.
According to the complaint, Brown is on parole and probation for
offenses including armed assault to murder and other gun-related
convictions. His parole was set to end this week, though his probation
continued.
Meghan Kelly, a spokesperson for the Middlesex District Attorney’s
Office, said Brown was not licensed to carry a firearm.
Allain described Brown’s criminal history going back to 1994, when he
was convicted of armed robbery in Michigan. He also was convicted of
escape in Michigan in 1997 and drug offenses in New Hampshire in 2007.
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This image provided by Cambridge District Court, Tyler Brown appears
in court via zoom from a hospital bed on Thursday, May 14, 2026 in
Cambridge, Mass. (Cambridge District Court via AP)
In Massachusetts, he has been convicted of multiple assault and
gun-related charges, most recently in 2021, when he was convicted of
firing at officers.
Prosecutors said then that he should serve at least 10 years in
prison, due to the “level of brazen violence” and because he was on
probation for a 2014 conviction on assault and witness intimidation
charges. A judge instead ordered Brown to serve five to six years in
state prison and three years of probation with credit for nearly 18
months spent in custody.
At the time, the judge’s decision sparked outrage and criticism
among local officials concerned that violent offenders were not
being held accountable — concerns that have resurfaced. “Talk about
a ball drop,” said the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association in a
statement on social media.
During a 2021 sentencing hearing, a police officer who Brown shot at
called him "a very dangerous individual who doesn't care who he
hurts," according to an audio recording of the proceedings. A
probation officer expressed concern that the incident he was on
probation for and the one he was being sentenced for were similar
and he was a “danger to the community due to his random acts of
violence.”
Suffolk Superior Court Judge Janet Sanders told the court then that
she considers factors like psychiatric issues and childhood trauma
Brown endured in imposing a sentence. But Sanders seemed especially
moved by the support expressed in letters from Brown's family and
the community, including city officials, who were impressed with
“his commitment to turn his life around.”
“Mr. Brown, I do realize I’m kind of taking a chance on you,” the
judge told him. “When experienced officers, experienced probation
officers tell me this guy is a danger to the community, I hear that.
I can't look into a crystal ball and figure out what is going to
happening once you get out. But I do understand I am taking a risk
here. I just pray that you know my intuitions are right.”
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