CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Authorities are learning more about the weapon allegedly used in Monday’s shooting on Memorial Drive in Cambridge, and firearms experts say the case highlights growing concerns about how dangerous weapons end up in the hands of convicted felons.
Tyler Brown was arraigned Thursday from his hospital bed in connection with the shooting, which prosecutors say left two drivers struck by gunfire. One victim remains hospitalized.
Investigators recovered the firearm at the scene, describing it in court as a multi-caliber rifle equipped with a scope. Prosecutors say approximately 70 shell casings were found at the scene, underscoring the intensity of the gunfire.
Retired ATF senior executive Scott Sweetow said Brown, as a convicted felon, would not have been able to legally purchase the weapon.
“He either used fake identification, or what is far more likely is he just bought the gun on the street,” Sweetow said.
Sweetow said investigators will now focus on tracing the rifle to determine where it came from and whether it may be connected to other crimes.
“As we used to say in ATF, you follow the gun,” he explained.
Court proceedings revealed the rifle was outfitted with a scope — something Sweetow described as especially troubling.
“From the video, it looks like he was just spraying,” Sweetow said. “But the fact that someone put the time to put a hunting-type scope on this weapon so that it would be more accurate — it’s also pretty chilling.”
Sweetow also warned about the potential danger posed by high-capacity semi-automatic rifles.
“If somebody’s walking around with high-powered semi-automatic weapons that can hold 60 rounds with those two magazines, you’re dealing with something that potentially puts the public at grave risk,” he said.
According to prosecutors, two drivers were hit by bullets during the shooting. Sweetow said the victims may have survived because they were inside their vehicles when the gunfire erupted.
“The bullet having to go through some of the sheet metal on the car or even multiple pieces of window glass would have slowed that bullet down, taken some of the energy out,” he explained.
“The people that were shot at and shot are frankly lucky to be alive,” Sweetow added.
Sweetow said one key question moving forward will be whether the rifle was a so-called “ghost gun,” a firearm that can be difficult or impossible to trace because it may have been assembled illegally or without serial numbers.
He said ghost guns are becoming an increasingly significant challenge for law enforcement agencies nationwide as investigators work to track illegal firearms and prevent future violence.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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