Andrea Massa of Marshfield is facing charges of firearms violation for bringing two loaded guns with high-capacity magazines into the Boston University Commencement ceremony, Sunday. Massa is reported to have surrendered the two guns.
"He was arrested on his way into the commencement ceremony; they have a security checkpoint where he was found with two weapons," said Colin Riley, a university spokesman, Boston Globe reports.
A woman who claims to be Massa's relative said that he was just attending his sister-in-law's graduation. "It was just a misunderstanding."
Massa's wife, Sally, said that her husband did not intend to harm or injure anyone. "He was just exercising the right to have them," cbc local reports her as saying.
Sally further said that they received their gun licenses recently and were clueless about the terms of firearms license on private property.
On Friday, the university informed all graduates that their friends and families will be subjected to intense security checks in view of the Marathon bombings last year. Riley said that metal detectors were positioned at the entrances of the field.
"All students, faculty, staff, volunteers, guests, and vendors will be subject to screening when entering any commencement weekend venue, possibly with a metal-detecting wand," the university said in a statement.
Massa is scheduled to be arraigned Monday in Brighton Court for illegally carrying a firearm to school grounds and also for disorderly conduct, Kansas City reports. The Suffolk County District Attorney's Office said that the 28-year-old Massachusetts man also faces a civil penalty for violating the terms of a firearm license (hunting and target practice).
Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick delivered the commencement address to graduates at BU's Nickerson Field.
