The funeral Mass took place at St. James Church on Federal Street in Salem. 

Trainor leaves behind his fiancée Jessica, his mother Barbara, a sister and three brothers. After the funeral, there was a ceremony outside the church with a Massachusetts State Police Air Wing flyover. 

The casket was placed in the street in the middle of a four-way intersection, while a sea of troopers stood in formation nearby. Trainor's fiancée and mother, who sat nearby during the ceremony along with other family members, were presented with flags that draped his casket.

"A hero of our state"

Trainor died just after 2 a.m. on May 6 at the end of his shift on Route 1 in Lynnfield. A Jeep driven by 50-year-old Hernan Marrero slammed head-on into Trainor's SUV, killing both of them. Trainor, who lived in Georgetown, was just 30 years old.  

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey was the first speaker at the funeral. She told Trainor's mother that "you raised a hero."

"Today, we lay to rest a hero of our state. Someone who embodied our highest ideals. Courage and character. Strength and selflessness. And he lived them every day of his life," Healey said.

Healey highlighted that Trainor's actions likely saved the lives of other drivers who were on the road that morning.

"They didn't know that they would need Kevin to protect them. But they did. Kevin was there for them, just as he would have been for any one of us," Healey said. "In fact, he was there for all us, even after his detail was done and he was on his way home, he answered the call without hesitation. That's who Kevin was."

Friend calls Kevin Trainor "one of the bravest heroes"

Massachusetts State Police Col. Geoffrey Noble spoke next, saying that Trainor "was and will always be the epitome of a police officer, a state trooper."

Trooper Anthony Angelusco, one of Trainor's closest friends, gave the eulogy. 

"Kevin was the type of person that would not hesitate to drop what he was doing, as long as it meant he got to help someone he cared about. He was a selfless friend who had nothing but the best intentions," Angelusco said.

Like Healey, Angelusco remembered Trainor as a hero.

"If there's a way to go out, it would be keeping a dangerous driver off the road and keeping the public safe for the very last time," Angelusco said. "Kevin ended his career that night by making the greatest sacrifice one can do and unknowingly saving the lives of everyone behind him. For that sacrifice, Kevin will always be remembered as one of the bravest heroes I've had the honor to call my best friend."

Trainor grew up in Salem, Massachusetts and joined the State Police in 2023 after serving as a corrections officer in Essex County.

Hundreds of law enforcement officers paid tribute to the trooper at a wake Tuesday evening in Peabody.

Streets around the church were closed early in the morning to accommodate Trainor's family, friends and the large police presence there. After the Mass, there was a procession down Flint Street to the cemetery where a private burial service took place.

Trainor's family wrote in his obituary that he "took immense pride in protecting and serving" the people of Massachusetts.

"From an early age, Kevin possessed a deep sense of loyalty, integrity, and compassion for others - qualities that would define both his personal life and professional career," they said.

Hutchins, 23, of Needham, is charged with misdemeanor assault and battery on a family or household member for an alleged incident on Tuesday at Voute Hall on Commonwealth Avenue in Chestnut Hill.

Quintayvious Hutchins police report

According to a Boston College police report filed with the criminal complaint, officers were called to the fourth floor of the dorm just before 8 p.m. Tuesday "for a male and female fighting in the hallway."

One of the witnesses, a resident advisor, told police the two "were pushing each other" and that Hutchins grabbed the woman by the neck.

"He said she was cheating on him and he choked and yelled at her," the RA wrote in her witness statement. She also wrote that "the 'choke' was a firm grab to the neck not strangulation."

According to the report, Hutchins told officers the two had an argument earlier over food and he left. He said he came back about 45 minutes later to get his belongings and the woman "threw his belongings in the hallway." A ceiling tile also fell during the dispute, police said.

"She started making a scene while ppl were around all I was trying to do was go to her room so I can get my stuff," Hutchins wrote in his witness statement.

The woman did not want a photo of her neck taken, according to the police report. Hutchins was arrested a short time later and taken to the Newton Police department.

Police said the woman "became visibly sad" when she was told Hutchins was arrested.

"I'm ok nothing happened," the woman wrote in her witness statement. 

Hutchins was arraigned Wednesday morning in Newton District Court. A plea of not guilty was entered on his behalf and he was released on a promise to return to court for the next hearing in the case.

Gabriel Valadez, a senior at Boston College, says the incident happened right outside his door. "There was yelling, there was screaming, he was throwing insults. So, it was a big affair," Valadez told WBZ.

He says once he heard the shouting, he started watching through his peephole. "He was like in her face, from what I saw, so just it was like right up close, and it looked like it could've turned nasty at any moment if it hadn't already," Valadez said.

Friends of the alleged victim are calling for a full investigation. "It's very shocking, I think it has no place here obviously," John Forry, a Boston College senior told WBZ. "So, I just hope the response is adequate and everything is investigated properly." 

Patriots statement on Quintayvious Hutchins

"We are aware of the report involving Quintayvious Hutchins. We take these matters very seriously and are in the process of gathering additional information. We will not have further comment at this time," the Patriots said in a statement.

There has been no comment yet from Hutchins or his lawyer.

Who is Quintayvious Hutchins?

Hutchins, an edge rusher at Boston College, was drafted by the Patriots in the seventh round of the NFL Draft, 247th overall.

"If I could be honest, I didn't think I was going to get a call," Hutchins told reporters after the Patriots drafted him on April 25. "So, getting that call from the Patriots was like a dream come true, and hope and faith rising inside of me, knowing that I have another chance to go showcase my talent."

The 6-foot-3, 245 pound linebacker grew up in Alabama, before spending the last five years at BC. He described himself after the draft as a "dynamic special teams player."

Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel personally worked with Hutchins during BC's pro day before the draft. Vrabel was not with the team the day Hutchins was drafted. He was away that weekend getting counseling in the wake of the Dianna Russini photo scandal.

Spinale was nearly killed during the fall on April 7 at the academy in Stow. He suffered significant internal and external injuries, and had to learn to walk again at Spaulding Rehabilitation in Charlestown before being released.

Because Spinale was working as a part-time instructor for the state, and not on duty for Chelmsford Fire Department at the time of the fall, the town did not place him on injury leave. He had to use accrued paid sick time, while Chelmsford firefighters swapped shifts to make sure his job would be there when he is ready to return.

But on Wednesday, Healey announced that her legislation would ensure that he receives full pay and benefits, and also maintains his full-time position in Chelmsford while he recovers.

"Nicholas Spinale is a hero. Firefighters run into danger every day to keep people safe, and Nick went even further to lend his expertise to train the next generation of firefighters," Healey said in a statement. "He suffered from a tragic, life-altering accident while doing this important work, and the last thing he needs is to worry about whether he will continue to be able to support himself and his family. This legislation will ensure that he receives the full pay and benefits that he deserves so that he can rightfully focus on his recovery."

In a statement, the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts urged the House and Senate to fast-track the legislation and get it to Healey's desk so she can sign it.

Chelmsford Firefighters IAFF Local 1839 thanked the governor for drafting the legislation.

"This bill demonstrates that through collaborative efforts and challenging discussions, significant and equitable decisions can produce positive impacts for first responders throughout Massachusetts," the union said. 

"There's been a little bit of misinformation out there," Jim Nolan, the chief operating officer of Kraft Sports + Entertainment said at a Patriot Place press conference about what fans need to know with one month to go until the first match.

Back in February, MBTA officials revealed that parking would be drastically reduced around what will be known as "Boston Stadium." Instead of the 20,000 spots that are usually available for New England Patriots games, the T said only 5,000 spaces will be allotted for fan parking on match days.

Nolan said FIFA does currently have 5,000 parking spots available for pre-sale at $175 apiece around the stadium, "but we have thousands more that we could add." He also said independent lots along Route 1 will account for another 5,000 parking spaces.

"We have significant parking, significant enough parking capacity for anyone who wants to drive to Gillette," Nolan said. "We have more than enough parking."

Just last week, Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver said he guarantees "that there's going to be a lot of extra traffic" in the area, especially for weekday matches. 

"FIFA is not your typical event," Gulliver said. "This is like a Taylor Swift concert, playoff series, the World Series and Super Bowl all in one place."  

But Nolan on Wednesday pointed to special MBTA Commuter Rail trains, which have sold more than 31,000 tickets, and express bus service that will have more people traveling to Foxboro by train and bus "than any event in the history of Gillette Stadium."

"The number of vehicles on Route 1 is going to be down significantly from a Taylor Swift concert or a New England Patriots football game," Nolan said.

Nolan said that about 70% of ticket holders are going to be coming from outside the Boston area, and he expects they will be taking advantage of train and bus options.

"If I'm speaking to our local fans in particular, if you were coming to a concert or if you were coming to a football game, we recommend you travel the way you would," Nolan said. "And as you know, most of those people drive."   

During the Thursday morning commute, there is likely to be a slow-moving band of downpours impacting travel in central and eastern Massachusetts.

By midday, that band of heavy rain will move eastward with the highest risk of downpours located across coastal areas.

Conditions will vary quite a bit from place-to-place Thursday afternoon and evening. We expect some lingering downpours mixed with areas of partial sunshine.

By Friday, the center of the storm system will move offshore, and most of southern New England will remain within its cyclonic flow.

It will be a very gray day with some pockets of drizzle and showers rotating from north to south on a chilly north-northeast wind.

Localized flooding possible

We may see some clearing very late in the day around sunset.

Rainfall amounts will vary widely from town to town. The majority of the area will likely receive between .5"-1.0", but some isolated pockets of 1-3" are possible under the heaviest downpours.  

Should rainfall totals exceed 1.0", some localized flooding is possible. 

Warmest weekend since October

Following Friday, we are in for a shift of seasons. Temperatures will soar into the 70s and 80s starting on Saturday and lasting through the middle of next week.

In fact, this weekend will be the warmest weekend in the Boston area since early October.

Police say Tyler Brown opened fire on the busy street near the Charles River Monday afternoon, shooting at random at passing drivers. 

Two men were critically injured and Brown remains hospitalized. A Massachusetts State Police trooper and Marine veteran shot Brown to bring the violence to an end.

In a statement released by the Felix family on Wednesday, they said one of the victims was an MBTA The Ride driver who is a husband of 37 years and a father of eight. They did not identify him by his first name.

"Known by many for his kindness, welcoming spirit, and heart for service, he was unfortunately involved in the recent incident in Cambridge while on what began as a routine workday. By the grace of God, Felix was able to drive himself to the hospital to receive medical care and is currently in recovery as he focuses on healing physically, emotionally, and mentally," the Felix family said. "We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support from family, friends, community members, and especially the church community for their continued prayers and care."

The other man wounded, Casmir Bangoura, remained in the hospital as of Thursday. His uncle told WBZ-TV previously that Bangoura was going out to move his car when he was shot.

Bangoura was hit several times in the arm and leg, his uncle said.

Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said she is cautiously optimistic that both victims will make a full recovery.

Brown is expected to be arraigned Thursday morning on several charges.

"This is an important step toward improving safety for staff, first responders, patients, and the surrounding community," Tewksbury Police Chief Ryan Columbus said in a statement Wednesday.

WBZ-TV's I-Team has been reporting on the rise in attacks at the public hospital, which treats some of the most dangerous and mentally ill patients in the state, since 2021 when a patient nearly strangled a nurse to death. And there have been at least four violent assaults reported at the hospital in recent weeks.

In one instance, police say a man allegedly pushed a chair into a pregnant staff worker. In another case, a man with an "extensive violent criminal history" allegedly hit an employee in the face twice in an unprovoked attack.

The I-Team reported in 2023 that police respond to about 1,000 calls a year at the hospital. The state trained and issued the tactical gear to security staff just months before the Department of Public Health decided to take it away in April, saying "we are relying on approaches that work best in health care."

Columbus said "there is still significant work that must be done" to ensure that everyone is safe.

"Additionally, there are still areas in the hospital where the Department of Mental Health is not permitting the use of these less-lethal tools," he said. "These concerns will continue to be part of ongoing discussions as we work toward policies that properly balance therapeutic goals with the safety and security needs of staff, public safety personnel, patients, and the community."

WBZ-TV has reached out to the state for comment.  

The crash happened at about 11 a.m. in Avon near Schoolhouse Pond. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife identified the pilot as Josh Tibbetts, a 50-year-old from New Gloucester.

The cause of the crash is not known. Tibbetts did not appear to report an emergency, but the small plane sent an automatic distress signal before it crashed. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

"He was in the process of working with folks from our Bureau of Fisheries to stock fish in the western part of the state in a number of lakes and ponds over there," Maine Warden Service Col. Dan Scott said at a news conference. 

Tibbetts had been a Maine Game Warden for 18 years, including three as a warden service pilot. The Warden Service website explains that pilots serve an essential role in search-and-rescue efforts, as well as aerial fish stocking.

"Aerial stocking is the least stressful method of delivering live trout and salmon to inaccessible or distant locations, Maine's Warden Pilots release more than 182,000 of them — over 28,000 lbs. — into 195+ lakes and ponds each year," the website says.

A video published by the Inland Fisheries & Wildlife Department shows how tanks that can hold up to 90 pounds of fish are attached to each side of a plane. While in flight, the pilot trips the tanks to tip them over and dump the fish into the water.

Tibbetts was the only person on the plane for the mission, which the department said is common practice.

"My heart is with the warden's family and loved ones, their colleagues at the Maine Warden Service, and all affected by this tragedy," Gov. Janet Mills said in a statement. 

The game is set for Sunday, Nov. 15, at 9:30 a.m. ET in Munich at Allianz Arena.

It's Detroit's first International Series game since 2015, when the Lions lost to the Kansas City Chiefs at Wembley Stadium. Detroit has played two international games. 

"It has been a dream of mine to play a game in my mother's home country of Germany since coming to the league," said Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown when the game was first announced in February. "I cannot wait to play in front of the incredible fans that I've gotten to know through my visits and football camps in the country. Their support for me and the country's instant connection to the Lions brand is inspiring, and I'm looking forward to our team getting to showcase Detroit football on an international scale." 

The Patriots have played five international games, including a game in Frankfurt, Germany, in 2023. New England is 3-2 all-time in international contests. 

The Germany game is one of nine games to be played in seven countries and eight stadiums during the 2026 season. Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro, Paris, Melbourne, Madrid and London will all host games this upcoming season. 

The Patriots went 14-3 last season en route to their 22nd AFC East championship and 12th Super Bowl appearance, which they lost to the Seattle Seahawks. 

The Lions took a step back in 2025, going 9-8, finishing last in the NFC North and missing the postseason. 

The international game announcement is the second Lions game announced this week. On Monday, it was revealed that the Lions will face the Bills in Buffalo in Week 2 on Thursday Night Football. 

The rest of Detroit's and New England's schedules will be released Thursday night. 

Collins spent 13 years as a player in the league for six different franchises. He revealed in 2013 that he was gay, an announcement that came toward the end of his playing career. 

Collins announced he was diagnosed with Stage 4 glioblastoma in December, which has an extremely low survival rate. In a statement through the NBA, the Collins' family said the former NBA player died "after a valiant fight with glioblastoma."

"Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar," Collins' family said. "We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers over the past eight months and for the exceptional medical care Jason received from his doctors and nurses. Our family will miss him dearly."

Just last week, Collins received the inaugural Bill Walton Global Champion Award at the Green Sports Alliance Summit. He was too ill to attend and his twin brother, former NBA player Jarron Collins, accepted for him.

"I told my brother this before I came here: He's the bravest, strongest man I've ever known," Jarron Collins said while accepting that award.

Jason Collins averaged 3.6 points and 3.7 rebounds in his career. He helped the New Jersey Nets reach two NBA Finals and in his best season averaged 6.4 points and 6.1 rebounds for them in 2004-05. He retired in 2014 after playing with the Brooklyn Nets from February to November 2014. 

"Jason Collins' impact and influence extended far beyond basketball as he helped make the NBA, WNBA and larger sports community more inclusive and welcoming for future generations," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. "He exemplified outstanding leadership and professionalism throughout his 13-year NBA career and in his dedicated work as an NBA Cares Ambassador. Jason will be remembered not only for breaking barriers, but also for the kindness and humanity that defined his life and touched so many others."

Jason Collins revealed his sexuality in a first-person account for Sports Illustrated in April 2013. 

"I'm a 34-year-old NBA center. I'm Black and I'm gay," he wrote in the opening of his piece.

He was a free agent at the time, said he wanted to keep playing, and went on to play in 22 games with Brooklyn the following season.

"If I had my way, someone else would have already done this," he wrote at that time. "Nobody has, which is why I'm raising my hand."

His decision was widely lauded, with star players such as Kobe Bryant quickly speaking out in support of Collins. There was even support from the White House and former President Bill Clinton — whose daughter, Chelsea, went to Stanford with Collins. At Stanford, Collins was roommates with someone who was part of another American political dynasty, that being Joe Kennedy III, who spent eight years in Congress representing Massachusetts.

Collins, in the piece for Sports Illustrated, wrote that he realized he needed to go public about his sexuality when Kennedy walked in Boston's gay pride parade in 2012 — but Collins couldn't do the same.

Until then, Collins kept his feelings about gay rights close to the vest. He wore jersey No. 98 for the majority of his final three playing stints with Boston, Washington and Brooklyn — a nod to the year that Matthew Shepard, a gay college student in Wyoming, was killed. He also wore 46 in one game for the Nets, since it was the only jersey the team had available when he signed.

"In 2013, Jason changed sports forever by becoming the first active male athlete in a major North American team sport to publicly come out," the National Basketball Players Association said in a statement. "His courage shattered barriers, making him a global beacon of hope for the LGBTQ+ community. He worked relentlessly to foster inclusion in locker rooms, schools, and communities, challenging us all to be more empathetic."

Collins made nearly 61% of his shots in his career at Stanford, which remains a school record. He was an honorable mention selection for The Associated Press' All-America team in 2001, a few months before the Houston Rockets took him with the 18th pick in that year's NBA draft.

"It's a sad day for all of us associated with Stanford basketball when we lose one of the program's greats," former Stanford coach Mike Montgomery said. "We all have great memories of Jason and the kind of person he was. It's hard to separate Jarron and Jason because they thought so alike, but even though he was an identical twin, Jason was unique in his own way. The impact he had on Stanford was immense, as he could match up against anyone in the country because he was big, smart, strong and skilled, all while being a very bright and nice person."

A 32-year-old woman was fatally shot by police in Northfield, New Hampshire, in early April. Police said they responded to a domestic disturbance and that the woman was armed with a knife. That same weekend, police exchanged gunfire with a 38-year-old man in Raymond, New Hampshire, before investigators say the man killed himself. His brother told WBZ-TV he had a lengthy history of mental health issues. In Boston, on the same weekend, officers shot and killed a man in the Fenway neighborhood after police say the man attacked first responders with a sword. 

WBZ reached out to researchers at the Harvard Injury Control Research Center to see if there is any trend behind the rash of shootings and if there is a link between police shootings and mental health crises.

Data on police involved shootings

The first hurdle was finding accurate data. The FBI collects data on police involved shootings, but relies on individual police departments to report them.

The Harvard Injury Control Research Center collects some data from a Washington Post database of fatal police shootings since Massachusetts does not track officer-involved shootings statewide. According to the most recent data available from the Post, the state had two fatal police shootings in 2024. In 2023 and 2022, there were five fatal police shootings in both years.

The New Hampshire Attorney General's office does collect data on both fatal and non-fatal police involved shootings. According to the office, there have been three police involved shootings in the Granite State in 2026 so far, there were nine in 2025, and nine in 2024.

There is no clear increase or decrease in police-involved shootings in both Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Dr. David Hemenway, the Director of the Injury Control Research Center, says he can point to one clear trend in the data: that is the correlation between the availability of firearms and the number of police involved shootings.  

"States with weak gun laws have lots of guns, and that's where police get killed. Similarly, those states are the same places where police are killing," said Professor David Hemenway. "Northern New England, Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, if you are a resident there, you are something like more than five times as likely next year to be killed by a police officer."

He showed WBZ that there is a correlation between the prevalence of guns and police killings. Fischer explained that 12 percent of fatal police shootings in the United States were while they were responding to a behavioral health call. 

Injury Control Researcher, Sam Fischer, is close to publishing data about the data related to police involved shootings and suspects experiencing mental health crises.

"12% percent of fatal police shootings in the U.S. at that time were in response to a behavioral health call," Fischer told WBZ.

Fischer said it's tough to say if police are responding to more mental health crises in recent years, but it would not be surprising.

"I think broadly speaking, the U.S. went through a de-institutionalization period in the 70s, 80s, and even into the 90s and transitioned to community-based care models for intense mental health," Fischer said, "I could understand that argument in saying that police are increasingly becoming front-line mental health workers."

Training to deal with mental health cases  

Despite hard data, some law enforcement officials are approaching mental crises from a different angle.  

Retired New Hampshire State Police Major Russell Conte teaches Crisis Intervention Training to officers in New Hampshire. He explained that the focus is now on strategies that prevent police involved violence. Troopers now participate in Crisis Intervention Training (CIT), a program about building trust and a network of advocates and clinicians to help people with mental illnesses before, during, and after they encounter police. 

"It starts off with you talking to someone like they're a human being," Conte said. "We have opened ourselves up to an awareness of this, which is why CIT exists and why we're going upstream."

If you or someone you know needs mental health help, you can contact the National Alliance of Mental Health by visiting namimass.org or calling 627-580-8541.

Suspected gunman Tyler Brown allegedly was shooting at passing cars at random Monday until he was shot by a Massachusetts State Police trooper and a civilian. Brown is hospitalized, along with two victims who have life-threatening injuries.

Bullet through sliding door

One of the bullets went through Armando Zona's apartment sliding glass door.

"It landed somewhere in the apartment, but state police could not find it," Zona said.

Zona said he heard the shots and told his wife to take cover. He was running away when the bullet pierced the glass.

"You can't comprehend that a person would do something like that. Obviously there's something, issues this person has, mental issues," Zona said.

According to a police report, Tyler Brown had been released from McLean Hospital, a psychiatric facility, three days before the shooting. He had previously been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression.

Victim undergoing surgery

Casmir Bangoura, 35, lives in the building nearby and was moving his car to run an errand when he was shot. His uncle, Soufiana Yombuno, said Bangoura was hit several times in the arm and leg.

His Dodge Avenger could be seen at the crime scene Monday after the shooting, having come to a stop against a tree.

The district attorney said Bangoura's injuries are life-threatening. Bangoura's uncle said he finds hope in the doctors performing surgery.

"That's the information I believe that gives me the courage," Yombuno said. "If he's talking. They've got to do some other surgeries.  I feel good with the prayers from everybody too. That's the most important thing for him to be OK."

Brown is also in the hospital in police custody. He has not yet been arraigned, but is facing eight different charges. 

"It was not a failure of the justice system, it was the proper functioning of the justice system," retired Judge Jack Lu told WBZ-TV.

Lu, the former chair of the Massachusetts Sentencing Commission, defended the sentence handed down by now-retired Suffolk Superior Court Judge Janet Sanders, saying it fell within sentencing guidelines.

"The judge doesn't have a crystal ball. The judge doesn't have extra sensory perception. The judge does not have ESP," Lu said. "The judge has to do what's fair to everybody."

At the time prosecutors had sought a 10 to 12-year prison sentence for Brown, who pleaded guilty to eight charges including armed assault with intent to murder and attempted assault and battery by means of discharging a firearm for firing at Boston Police.

Instead, Judge Janet Sanders sentenced him five to six years in state prison followed by probation that included mental health treatment.

Rachael Rollins, who was the Suffolk County District Attorney at the time, said she was "disappointed" by the sentence.

"I strongly believe that the sentence we proposed - 10 to 12 years followed by five years of probation - was appropriate for the level of brazen violence committed. Of equal concern is the imposition of concurrent sentences for a prior and separate violent assault on a different member of our community," Rollins said in August 2021.

In an interview with WBZ News on Tuesday, Rollins said, "what the judge did was double harm."

Brown ended up serving about three-and-a-half years in prison after his sentencing date. He was released on May 21, 2025.

"The judge had I believe, a 42-year-old man with a demonstrated, documented mental health history. So, this is not an intervention," Lu said. "The judge sentenced this individual to five to six years in state prison with probation with a significant mental health treatment component. That's a fair decision; that's a just decision. That's justice. Justice is not just to adopt whatever the prosecutor says, or really, whatever the police say."

Lu said the larger issue may have been failures in mental health treatment after Brown completed his sentence.

Before Monday's shooting in Cambridge, Brown allegedly made suicidal statements to his parole officer and waved a rifle during a FaceTime call while saying he intended to use it. He was released from a psychiatric hospital just days earlier, court paperwork shows.

"After the defendant served his sentence, there likely were mental health failures by the system, perhaps for a lack of funding," Lu said. "But those are not the responsibility of the sentencing judge."

"Judges can't solve all the problems of society," he added. "And locking everybody up forever is not the answer."

WBZ-TV tried to contact Judge Janet Sanders for a comment but was unable to reach her.     

That year, Tyler Brown was convicted following a shootout with Boston Police on Mass. Avenue in 2020.

At the time, Brown was on probation for a 2014 conviction for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon – a knife – and witness intimidation.

At his sentencing, prosecutors for the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office, working at the time under D.A. Rachael Rollins, requested 10 to 12 years behind bars for Brown. Judge Janet Sanders instead sentenced him to five to six years behind bars.

"I was so disappointed in the sentence, quite frankly, from the bench, that I issued a press release, which is very, very rare," Rollins told WBZ in her first interview following the Cambridge shooting. "You know, prosecutors might mumble and grumble about being unhappy with what judges do, but I was convinced that this person was going to harm others if they didn't get a significant sentence, and that's why, the office that I led at the time asked for 10 to 12 years, and we asked for five years of probation."

"What the judge did was double harm," Rollins said, noting that the judge issued concurrent – not consecutive – sentences for Brown at the time.

"We were thoughtful and measured when we came up with [10 to 12 years]," Rollins said.

At the time, Rollins issued a scathing statement following the sentencing. "When an individual commits serious, violent offenses that threaten the lives of our community members – which include members of law enforcement – I will advocate for their removal and detention. My office recommended a significant sentence for Mr. Brown given the nature of his offenses and the trauma and harm he inflicted. I am disappointed in the sentence that was imposed," District Attorney Rollins said in a 2021 press release.

She reiterated in 2026 that despite her reputation for at times being soft on crime, she was "the last face you wanted to see if you were committing violent, serious crimes" in her time as Suffolk County District Attorney and U.S. Attorney. "I wanted our government to work and focus on the most violent, serious crimes, and the people perpetrating those crimes, and very candidly, Tyler Brown was one of the people perpetrating those crimes."

"This could have been a mass casualty event, and but for that Marine and that state trooper and the Cambridge Police Department jumping into action, we might be dealing with something even more terrifying than what we did before," Rollins said on Tuesday. "This looked like a scene out of the movie 'Heat,' or, like, you know, 'The Town,' right?"

Rollins recently pulled papers to run for Suffolk County D.A. again, but wouldn't confirm when asked Tuesday if she's officially launching a campaign.

"You know what I'm going to talk to you about right now is just wishing that those people that are in the hospital a safe and speedy recovery," she said. "We are in great hands with D.A. [Marian] Ryan, who's going to prosecute this person, and I bet you whatever the judge is that hears this case is going to think twice and hopefully look at what happened back in 2020. Let's talk about what I'm doing in the future later on, but I wish a speedy recovery to the people that are in the hospital, and all the people who unfortunately experienced that trauma."

WBZ-TV tried to contact Judge Janet Sanders for a comment but was unable to reach her.     

The criminal complaint against 46-year-old Tyler Brown of Boston details what investigators say happened leading up to the shooting, which left two men with life-threatening injuries. Brown, who tried to kill Boston Police officers in 2020, is also being treated for gunshot wounds at a Boston hospital after he was shot by a Massachusetts State Police trooper and a Marine veteran.

Brown had just been released on Friday from an admission to McLean Hospital in Belmont, the complaint says. It adds that he was previously diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression.

A parole officer called Brown at about noon on Monday and "could tell something was not right," the document said. The parole officer said Brown told him over the phone "that he had relapsed and was ready to end his life." A person who lives in the same rooming house as Brown also told the parole officer earlier in the day that Brown was "off his rocker" and had been getting high the night before, according to the report.

The parole officer called 911 immediately after talking to Brown and drove toward the home, but couldn't find him. The officer then answered a Facetime video call from Brown.

"During the video call, the parole officer saw Brown waving around a semi-automatic rifle," the complaint says. "The parole officer believed that Brown was under the influence of drugs during the call."

Brown reportedly told the officer on the call that "these people are gonna f---ing pay" and "I'm not going back to prison." He also "claimed he committed murders in the past, some that he did not get caught for," the report said, before Brown ended the call.

Meanwhile, Boston police obtained a search warrant and worked with the U.S. Secret Service to ping Brown's phone near Memorial Drive at 1:21 p.m.

On a second FaceTime call, Brown told the parole officer he was no longer going by Tyler Brown, and instead was "now repping his 'shooter name.'" He continued waving a gun around, the report said.

"Sometime after the call, Brown began walking down Memorial Drive in Cambridge, firing his rifle repeatedly in an erratic fashion," the complaint said. 

According to state records, Brown was released from incarceration at MCI Shirley in May of 2025. Joey Bennett, who served time in prison for a murder conviction which was overturned, told WBZ he was incarcerated with Brown and that he had mental health issues. 

"His record doesn't reflect that he's a good person, but his heart is a good place," Bennett said.

Larry Calderone, the President of the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association, argues that Brown's case is not just one about mental health but about accountability for the justice system.

"This boils down to the DAs and the judges. They need to do a better job," Calderone said.

There are also questions about how Brown, a convicted felon, allegedly got a rifle and dozens of rounds of ammunition in Massachusetts.

"They're either stolen, or they're coming in from out of state," said Tom Greco, Special Agent in Charge of ATF Boston.

Greco says the hard work to trace the gun is undoubtedly happening right now. "Long guns are certainly rarer and they can go for a higher price depending on the dealer."

"We saw, when called upon, heroism that in my 30-plus years in law enforcement, represents arguably the most heroic thing I've ever seen," said Massachusetts State Police Col. Geoffrey Noble. "A trooper, and a former veteran, a former Marine, standing in the direct line of fire, standing in front of the active shooter and the citizens that they serve."

Authorities say 46-year-old Tyler Brown opened fire on Memorial Drive with an assault-style rifle, hitting at least a dozen vehicles. The two men who were shot were taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. Investigators remain amazed no one was killed, and hopeful the two victims will fully recover.

"It is truly remarkable," Marian Ryan said in an interview with CBS News' Jericka Duncan. "As to one of those individuals, it was really the very quick action of the police in applying tourniquets, and finding that person who had sustained the injury, that hopefully he will make a complete recovery and that will be the cause of that. As to the second, it really is the amazing medical care that's available here in the Boston area."

Videos from witnesses showed the gunman, identified by authorities as Brown, walking down the middle of the busy street firing and waving the rifle at about 1:30 p.m. Ryan said upwards of 60 rounds were fired.

Brown was shot and wounded by the responding Massachusetts State Police trooper and a civilian who is a Marine veteran. Brown was taken into custody and is being treated for gunshot wounds. The Marine and the trooper were not injured, and have not been identified. 

"I think what we saw here, certainly from that Marine, who was just somebody who was on the roadway, who quickly, based apparently on his training, realized what was going on and the danger that was being created," Ryan said.

According to the DA, the Marine not only engaged the gunman, but helped get people out of the area by distracting him.

"We certainly have many people who credit him with not only getting a weapon, which he was licensed to carry, and getting out and engaged in the fray," Ryan said. "But then many people who were in the other cars reporting that he was the person knocking on windows, telling them to go, trying to direct them in a way that would not put them on the line of fire."

In 2021, a judge sentenced Brown to five to six years in prison for attempting to shoot and kill Boston Police officers in the South End. He was released from prison in May of 2025. According to court paperwork, Brown was released from a psychiatric hospital just three days before the shooting. 

He is well liked by both peers and teachers and is known for being courteous, respectful, and thoughtful in his interactions. Sebastian's warm and approachable personality allows him to form strong friendships and build trusting relationships with supportive adults. Even when faced with challenges, he demonstrates determination and continues to move forward with a hopeful outlook on his future.

Sebastian enjoys staying active and takes pride in participating in a variety of sports, including football, soccer, volleyball, and track.

Through these activities, he not only channels his energy in a healthy way but also builds teamwork and perseverance skills. In his free time, Sebastian also enjoys playing video games, which gives him a chance to relax and connect with others in a fun and engaging way. Over the past year, Sebastian has embraced opportunities to step outside of his comfort zone and try new experiences.

He rode a roller coaster for the first time, visited a water park, and went bowling - all of which he found exciting and enjoyable. These experiences highlight Sebastian's growing confidence and willingness to explore new environments, try new things, and create positive memories.

For more information you can contact MARE: 617-964-MARE (6273) or visit www.mareinc.org.

Since its inception in 1981, Wednesday's Child has been a collaboration of the Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE), the Department of Children & Families and WBZ-TV/CBS Boston. Hosted by Jack Williams for 34 years, this weekly series has given a face and voice to the children who wait the longest for families. Wednesday's Child has helped find homes for hundreds of waiting children and continues to raise awareness about adoption from foster care.