The reckless nature of the Memorial Drive shooting in Cambridge has elected leaders sounding the alarm, with some saying new legislation be passed adding a new criminal charge in Mass.
Monday’s horrifying scenes on Memorial Drive in Cambridge have spurred shock and outrage from local leaders.
“It’s both stress and anger,” said Massachusetts State Rep. Marjorie Decker.
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Accused gunman Tyler Brown’s shooting spree drew conversation on Beacon Hill back to firearm reform, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan urging lawmakers to broaden their approach when it comes to reckless discharge of a gun.
“That is a bill we filed for the last four sessions, it has not been passed,” Ryan said. “We will be refiling that bill again this session because that is the legislation we need to address this kind of situation.”
The legislature did pass a sweeping bill in 2024 with a section targeting those kinds of situations, specifically when gunfire “strikes a dwelling or other building in use.” That section provides for 2.5 to 5 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
“The fact of when there’s a firing into a crowd and maybe nothing is hit,” said Ryan, “that’s still something we should be addressing.”
But Decker pushed back, standing by the language included in the 2024 law.
“She has all the tools to prosecute this person to the fullest extent of the law, and, at this moment, my concern continues to be with people in my community,” Decker said.
The debate spilled into the advocacy space.
“It’s also ludicrous that public officials are calling for more laws,” said Jim Wallace with Gun Owners Action League.
“We need strong policies, we need sustained investment in community-based solutions,” said Ruth Zakarin with Massachusetts Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence.
All the while, questions remain over why Brown was allowed out on parole after firing at Boston Police Department officers in 2020.
“I’m really curious about,” said Decker, “What I do know is that the gun that they were brandishing and using, they could not have purchased here in Massachusetts.”
“There are some serious questions we need to have answers to,” Ryan said.
Voters will also have a chance to weigh the 2024 firearms reform law this November. A ballot question will ask Bay Staters if the law should be repealed.
