Braintree parent faces charges after bringing gun to elementary school

A Braintree parent is facing charges after he allegedly brought a handgun to an elementary school Friday morning.

Matthew Vacher, 36, was arrested Friday after a handgun was allegedly found in a backpack he brought to the Ross Elementary School on Hayward Street, Braintree police said in a statement.

He is expected to be arraigned Monday in Quincy District Court on charges of carrying a firearm on school grounds and failure to properly secure a firearm, according to police.

Police became aware of Vacher when a family member contacted them with concerns about his mental health and requested a wellness check, according to the statement.

When it was learned that Vacher was at the school, officials advised school staff that the building go under lockdown as a precaution, police said

Vacher remained in the school office with the principal for the length of the lockdown and “at no point did he threaten anyone or state that he had a weapon,’’ said Braintree Deputy Police Chief Sean Lydon.

“There was never a threat to anyone. He was there for a legitimate reason,’’ said Lydon.

Lydon confirmed that Vacher had a license to carry the handgun.

Vacher was taken by ambulance to South Shore Hospital. The gun was found in his backpack after he had been removed from the school, police said.

Vacher was evaluated at the hospital before being released and subsequently arrested by police, according to the statement.

Once Vacher was off school grounds, the lockdown was lifted and the school returned to its normal schedule, according to police.

Mayor Joe Sullivan briefed school staff on the situation and praised the professionalism of the Braintree Police Department, according to a press release issued by the city.

“All of the procedures and protocols worked,’’ said Sullivan.