Massachusetts State Trooper Shoots Gunman Firing at Cars on Cambridge's Memorial Drive

A massive police response unfolded on Memorial Drive in Cambridge on Monday afternoon after a man armed with a long gun opened fire on passing cars. A Massachusetts State Police trooper shot the gunman during the incident.

The shooting occurred around 1:30 p.m. near the intersection of River Street. The Cambridge Police Department received 911 calls reporting gunshots in the area. Police said there is no ongoing danger to the public. Sources told the I-Team that no troopers were shot.

Witness video from the scene shows a man walking in the middle of the road with a gun. He fired the weapon and struck a car with it.

Three witnesses told WBZ-TV they were driving on Memorial Drive when the man began shooting. One driver stopped his car and crouched inside as the gunman hit his radiator. The gunman's coworker was driving ahead, and the gunman struck that car's headlight.

"Got out, walked up to the car in front of me to my coworker to see what was going on. Saw the dude in the street lifting [the gun] up at me," the man said. "I dipped back into my car and ducked behind my dashboard. My buddy got out, he ran for it. State trooper pulled up directly on the side of me, got out, got behind his car right in front of my driver's side mirror, got in the gunfight with him."

A woman driving a small school van to pick up children with special needs crouched alongside another woman in the van when the gunshots started. The two jumped out and fled through nearby bushes.

"I ran through the bushes and fell in here, and ran all the way down the street. And then they took me in this building over here because I was all shook and everything. Because I was running for my life," one of the women said. She added that she heard at least 15 or more shots.

All witnesses described a Massachusetts State Police trooper arriving and engaging the gunman within seconds. The trooper shot the suspect multiple times.

State police said emergency medical services responded to the scene. At least one person was treated for gunshot injuries, though they did not specify if it was the gunman.

Traffic came to a halt as a large portion of Memorial Drive and surrounding areas were closed off with police tape. Drivers were asked to avoid the area. At least 15 Massachusetts State Police cruisers and Cambridge police officers responded.

One car stopped off the road against a tree.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said she is monitoring the situation as Massachusetts State Police and local police investigate.

"There is no ongoing threat to the public. However, residents and commuters are strongly encouraged to avoid the area to allow public safety personnel to do their work," Healey said. "Grateful to first responders who worked quickly to keep people safe and secure the scene."

A woman in a nearby apartment building heard several gunshots from her 10th-floor balcony. She described them as fired in rapid succession. Minino Rodriguez was on the 18th floor and heard about 30 shots. He saw the gunman screaming in the road.

The I-Team reported that police are investigating whether the shooting relates to another incident earlier that day in Boston.

Memorial Drive runs along the Charles River in Cambridge, minutes from Boston.