Racism fears spark city to nix gunshot detection tech days after crazed gunman opened fire in streets

Concerns implicit racism prompted the Cambridge, Massachusetts, metropolis assembly to ballot to extremity its declaration with the institution that provides ShotSpotter technology, which detects gunshots and alerts constabulary successful existent time, connected Monday night.

The determination came conscionable a week aft crazed suspected gunman Tyler Brown, 46, was accused by constabulary of randomly opening fire, shooting 50 to 60 rounds into postulation connected Memorial Drive successful Cambridge, injuring two.

The incidental was caught connected video and rapidly went viral. Brown was a repetition offender who has been fto retired of situation aboriginal contempt a erstwhile altercation wherever helium changeable astatine constabulary officers. One of the victims of that incidental warned successful an interaction connection that, "when Mr. Tyler Brown gets out, helium volition hurt, oregon worse, termination someone."

A antheral fires an assault-style firearm astatine a engaged roadworthy successful Cambridge, Mass., connected Monday, May 11, 2026. (Youssef Adel/AP)

Still, Cambridge residents lined up astatine Monday's metropolis assembly gathering to advocator for the extremity of the technology.

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"The usage of ShotSpotter, which disproportionately targets marginalized Black and Brown communities is unjust and straight threatens the liberty and well-being of our communities," said nonmigratory Lily Grob, who described herself arsenic a "newly-minted societal worker."

"As a societal worker, I enactment chiefly with Black and Brown, low-income and migrant children and their families. More than ever, these communities are surviving nether immense fearfulness which I spot actively arsenic manifesting arsenic a intelligence wellness situation for children and their families," she said.

Lily Grob, a nonmigratory of Cambridge, Massachusetts, argues against ShotSpotter astatine a metropolis assembly gathering connected Monday, Nov. 18, 2026. (Cambridge City Council)

Councilor Ayah A. Al-Zubi, a Democratic Socialist, introduced the measurement to region the gunshot detection instrumentality successful April. Several self-identified members of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) spoke astatine the meeting.

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Another resident, Kayla Goodale, factored contention into her advocacy for the extremity of ShotSpotter successful the city.

"ShotSpotter is unfettered surveillance connected the largest populations of Black and Brown residents of Cambridge," she said. "ShotSpotter is funded by DHS and undermines Cambridge's presumption arsenic a sanctuary metropolis and undermines our committedness to not collaborate with ICE."

Local instrumentality enforcement often uses DHS grants to money the technology, which galore different residents raised arsenic a concern, on with the information that the metropolis assembly did not ballot to instrumentality ShotSpotter earlier it was rolled retired citywide successful 2014.

Cambridge City Hall, located astatine 795 Massachusetts Avenue successful Cambridge, Massachusetts, houses offices for the metropolis council, metropolis manager and respective municipal departments. (APCortizasJr/Getty Images)

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Resident Andrew Feldman said helium knows friends and household who debar traveling adjacent ShotSpotter to debar "racialized policing."

Ben Amado said the exertion is "constantly listening to Black and Brown communities present successful Cambridge, taking vantage of people's precise existent trauma astir weapon unit and presenting uncountable surveillance arsenic a solution."

"Again, I bash not consent for our susceptible neighbors successful our welcomed assemblage sanctuary metropolis astatine risk," said nonmigratory Brooke Feinberg. "I bash not consent to being nether changeless surveillance by quality of conscionable moving astir Cambridge."

Brooke Feinberg speaks astatine a Cambridge City Council gathering connected Monday, May 18, 2026. (Cambridge City Council)

Ultimately, the assembly voted 5-2-2 to region the technology.

Joe Gamaldi is the nationalist vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP). He slammed the governmental near for its absorption to ShotSpotter.

"ShotSpotter has been proven clip and again to trim constabulary effect times, assistance successful grounds postulation ... and seizure suspects," helium said. "Yet present we spell again with those connected the acold near attempting to bounds the tools of instrumentality enforcement astatine the terms of information successful our communities"

A dense constabulary beingness is seen connected Memorial Drive aft a shooting connected May 11, 2026, successful Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

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"It’s embarrassing and disgusting that they enactment their ain ideology and anti-police policies implicit the information of the guiltless members of our communities," helium continued.

Cambridge City Councilor Patty Nolan told Fox News Digital she voted to extremity ShotSpotter's declaration due to the fact that of concerns raised by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and due to the fact that she doesn't deliberation ShotSpotter makes the metropolis safer.

"I enactment that I enactment the cameras the metropolis has successful spot successful Central Square, which the constabulary section has besides supported," she said. "And erstwhile the Council voted to extremity the usage of Flock cameras, the constabulary section concurred.  So this contented is not 1 that means the assembly is against technology, oregon each cameras. I basal successful favour of exertion that is effectual and keeps america safe, erstwhile the benefits outweigh the concerns."