CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — On the afternoon of Monday, May 11, 2026, a man who had left a psychiatric hospital just three days before took a rifle and started shooting up Memorial Drive in Cambridge, Mass. A potential mass casualty event was stopped when a Massachusetts State Police officer AND an armed private citizen intervened. The citizen is a U.S. Marine, a license to carry holder, and a firearms instructor who was legally carrying a concealed handgun, a narrative that anti-gun groups and legislators tell the public never happens.
The alleged shooter, Tyler Brown, used a semi-automatic rifle and shot two victims who were in their cars, and they are currently in critical condition. Both the state police officer and the Marine returned fire, striking the suspect in the leg. After on-scene medical care, Brown was detained and transported to a hospital.
On Tuesday, May 12, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey posted a message on her social media channels acknowledging the event, or at least a portion of it:
Yesterday, we saw once again the extraordinary courage and selflessness of the Massachusetts State Police, Cambridge Police, and our first responders. In the middle of a terrifying and chaotic situation on Memorial Drive, troopers and emergency personnel ran toward danger to protect innocent people, secure the scene and prevent further violence. Their quick actions and professionalism undoubtedly saved lives.
We are especially grateful for the heroism of the State Police trooper who put himself directly in harm’s way during the incident as officers worked to stop the threat and protect the public. I spoke with him last night, thanked him, and told him that his actions reflected the very best of law enforcement and public service under extraordinarily dangerous circumstances. This is a particularly poignant reminder as we lay to rest this week Trooper Kevin Trainor, who lost his life while heading toward danger to keep people safe.
While the social media post saluted the efforts of the trooper, it ignored the life-saving actions of the civilian, which Governor Healey acknowledged briefly in a longer statement in a press release:
I want to thank every law enforcement officer from the Cambridge Police Department, firefighter, EMT, dispatcher and first responder who answered the call yesterday and worked together to protect the people of Cambridge during an incredibly dangerous and fast-moving situation. I am equally grateful to the civilian who courageously stepped in to assist law enforcement during this terrifying incident, demonstrating extraordinary bravery in a moment of crisis. I have also spoken with him and expressed our deep gratitude.
I want the people of Massachusetts to know that my entire administration, alongside law enforcement agencies across our state, is working day in and day out to keep our communities safe. Violence like this has no place in Massachusetts. We will continue doing everything we can to protect public safety, strengthen partnerships across law enforcement and communities, and ensure that the brave men and women who put on the uniform every day have the tools and support they need.
Governor Healey has been wildly anti-gun since she was the attorney general for the Commonwealth. In July 2024, she signed the Acts of 2024 Chapter 135, a law that infringes on the rights of citizens. It added sections on suicide prevention and disengagement training to the licensing and processing requirements.
While Governor Healey was able to publicly thank the police officers (inherently acknowledging that it takes a good guy with a gun to stop a bad guy), she fell short of giving the same level of gratitude and kudos to the armed citizen. Public comments on Facebook or X get much more visibility than those buried in a press release on the state’s website. Is that because this event didn’t fit the gun control narrative that armed citizens are responsible for stopping crime?
Governor Healey’s office did not respond to News2A’s request for comment.
Nothing in Chapter 135 would have stopped this criminal event from happening. It’s already illegal to carry a rifle or shotgun unless you’re actively hunting or in a parade. It’s illegal to discharge a firearm within 500 feet of an occupied dwelling, unless you have permission from the person. It’s, of course, also illegal to attempt to murder someone.
Governor Healey’s response was to make much ado about thanking the police officer, and though in her full statement she mentioned that she met with the Marine and thanked him, the message to the public is clear in the recent laws that she has supported by the legislature that she prefers a disarmed citizenry.
Wait until she finds out the Marine had a GLOCK!
