Today, the man arrested after a brazen May 11 shooting on Memorial Drive that left two people injured and a community shaken was indicted on charges filed by the Middlesex District Attorney’s office. Tyler Brown pleaded not guilty to the 43 charges, which include six counts of armed assault to murder, 17 counts of various forms of assault and battery, and for possessing a firearm after being convicted of a prior felony.
Brown entered his plea in a hushed tone, speaking through a window from a side room next to the main courtroom, but otherwise did not speak during the hearing.
The shooting, which occurred on a Monday afternoon along a busy corridor, left two victims severely injured from bullet wounds. One of them, a Cambridge resident, had five surgeries in a little over one week following the incident, according to an interview the victim’s niece gave with Cambridge Day. Officials say Brown fired over 50 rounds, with bullets hitting nearby cars and entering an apartment building.
“His actions created chaos, confusion and fear in the motorists, pedestrians, workers, residents and shoppers who were in that area,” Assistant District Attorney Nicole Allain, who represented the Commonwealth at today’s hearing, wrote in a court filing. A full list of the new charges can be found on the DA’s website.
Brown was pursued by a Massachusetts State Trooper and an armed ex-Marine who happened to witness the incident. Brown himself was shot and transferred to a local hospital, where he was later arraigned from his hospital bed on six felony charges and two misdemeanor charges from Cambridge District Court. He pleaded “not guilty” at the time as well.
Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan announced that her office would be pursuing the additional charges at a community meeting in Riverside one week after the shooting.
Judge Michael Sullivan read the indictments, many of which further alleged that Brown is a “habitual criminal.” Brown’s previous legal history includes the attempted shooting of a Boston Police Officer in 2020, for which he pleaded guilty and served three and a half years of prison time before being released. According to a summary of the evidence presented by Allain during Brown’s May arraignment, Brown was on a FaceTime call with his parole officer before committing the crimes, during which he displayed the gun he would use.
Brown is represented by veteran public defender Carolyn McGowan. McGowan’s previous defendants include Victor Rivas, a Boston man who was charged in Cambridge District Court for a January stabbing on Norfolk Street. The Middlesex DA’s office dropped all charges, concluding that Rivas acted in self-defense.
It is unclear what kind of defense McGowan will mount. Officials identified Brown as the shooter shortly following the incident, and have not filed charges against anyone else in connection to it. During the May community meeting, City Manager Yi-An Huang mentioned that Brown had been in mental health treatment six months prior to the shooting. If Brown’s defense team pursues acquittal by reason of insanity, according to Massachusetts state law prosecutors will have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Brown was criminally responsible regardless of his medical history.
Brown is due to appear in court for a hearing on whether he can be granted bail on October 8. Until then, he will be held at the Middlesex House of Correction and Jail in Billerica.
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