Dozens of people and drivers were caught in the chaos as a gunman opened fire in the middle of Memorial Drive in Cambridge on Monday afternoon.
We’re hearing from a woman who says a former Marine saved her life. She shared an emotional story for us.
You can just imagine how terrifying this was for the drivers who were just going about their day, driving down Memorial Drive as the shooting unfolded.
Since cars were stopped on the roadway, we did talk to one driver who said he got out of his car to try to figure out what was going on only to see the gunman pointing that rifle right at him. So he ran back to his car and jumped down behind his dashboard. Another driver said there was no time to hesitate. He just got low and ran.
It was a former Marine and a Massachusetts State Police trooper who approached the shooter and eventually took him down in the chaos.
Tyler Brown, who was also shot during the incident, is facing charges after allegedly opening fire on a busy street Monday afternoon.
One woman, Rachel Saveriano, told NBC10 Boston she froze in her car, not knowing what to do, when that Marine helped her escape.
“A man came, went around his car and pulled open my car door and made like a barricade. He had a gun and he told me to run, and I ran and then I just ran as fast as I could.”
She called that Marine a hero, thanking him for saving her life and many others.
Gov. Maura Healey shared a new statement Tuesday on “the extraordinary courage and selflessness” of first responders in Monday’s shooting, saying she spoke with both the civilian and state trooper to share her appreciation on Monday.
She said she was “grateful to the civilian who courageously stepped in to assist law enforcement during this terrifying incident, demonstrating extraordinary bravery in a moment of crisis,” and called the trooper heroic for putting “himself directly in harm’s way.”
“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,” she said.
Healey also thanked all the first responders from Cambridge “who answered the call yesterday and worked together to protect the people of Cambridge during an incredibly dangerous and fast-moving situation.”
