A Braintree parent who brought a handgun into Ross Elementary School on Friday prompted the school to go into lock down.
The 36-year-old parent, Matthew Vacher of Braintree, entered the school that is located on Hawyard Street shortly before 11 a.m. with a gun that was improperly secured in a back pack. Vacher does have a license to carry.
After school officials took notice and where concerned they took immediate action, keeping Vacher in the office and placing the Braintree school on lock down after contacting the police who instructed them to keep everyone in their places while securing the school grounds.
After police arrived, Vacher was sent by ambulance to the South Shore Hospital for evaluation.
“There was never a threat to anyone,” said Braintree Deputy Police Chief Sean Lydon. “He was there for a legitimate reason.”
The school has since released a statement.
“After the parent was removed from the school, the police found the weapon in a backpack the parent had brought to school,” the statement read. “At no time while the parent was in the school did they (he) threaten anyone or state that (he) had a weapon.”
Following the incident, Ross Elementary School returned to its normal schedule.
“The decision to go into a lockdown is always made with the utmost concern for student and staff safety,” the statement read. “School staff did an outstanding job responding to this situation, which is drilled several times every year. We appreciate the outstanding and immediate response of the Braintree Police Department, who handled the situation with the seriousness and professionalism that continues to keep us all safe.”
The Braintree police are currently investigating the incident. Vacher will be arraigned on charges of carrying a firearm on school grounds and failure to properly secure a firearm on Monday in Quincy District Court.
