Man with guns arrested at Boston U. commencement

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

May 18, 9:27 PM EDT
Man with guns arrested at Boston U. commencement

BOSTON (AP) -- A Massachusetts man has been charged with firearms violations for allegedly attempting to bring two loaded handguns into a Boston University commencement.

Andrea Massa of Marshfield was arrested by university police at a bag check area Sunday afternoon.

Massa's wife, Sally Jenkins, tells the Boston Herald (bit.ly/1jtrx8P) her husband realized he wouldn't be allowed in when he saw the security area and was arrested while leaving. She was at the commencement to see her sister graduate.

The Suffolk County District Attorney's Office says the 28-year-old Massa has a license to carry firearms for hunting and target practice. He faces a civil penalty for violating the terms of that license.




Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_COMMENCEMENT_HANDGUNS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2014-05-18-21-27-23

[wyldwolf]

1. WTF? Did he think he was in Georgia?

[onehandle]

2. What part of the Second Amendment do librul jackbooted thugs in MA not get.

'Gunz evrywhere all th' time.'

A direct quote from the bill of constitution declRation o' librrtee.

Yes, I was edumacated in a red state. Why does you askk?

[hatrack]

3. FREEDUMB!!!!

[seveneyes]

4. Why would he be searched while trying to leave?

I can understand if he tried to get in, but not while leaving. Something isn't right or they left some details out for why he was searched.

[Recursion]

9. Or, cops saw somebody leave when he saw the checkpoint, got suspicious, and stopped him

That said, if the man's wife is telling the truth this isn't the normal "stupid gun owner tries to bring a gun where he shouldn't" story.

[seveneyes]

12. Yay police state

Too bad they can't focus on real criminals...they may have been able to stop the Boston bombing.

[mbperrin]

22. They may have stopped a Boston shooting spree.

Doesn't count? Hmmm

[Hassin Bin Sober]

13. Its against the law to leave airpot security once you enter the security zone.

Or try to do a U turn at a DUI checkpoint. See how fast you get pulled over.

Same concept.

[oneofthe99]

5. The terms of the license

What are the terms

[freshwest]

6. 'A license to carry firearms for hunting and target practice,' huh?

Who was he hunting and who was gonna be target practice?

Sounds like one of those 'target rich environment' characters.

Rush's old call to 'hunt liberals down with dogs' appears to be paying off.

He 'realized he wouldn't be allowed in when he saw the security area' is very telling. He knew what he was doing was morally wrong.

He's just another criminal in my eyes. Intent matters, and his license didn't call for him to CCW a public event with lots of people.

Looking for trouble or looking to make trouble, and I hope he gets a load of trouble for this.

His wife was there to see someone graduate and he just thought he was so clever, that he didn't have to go a 'target range' or be out 'hunting' and could get away with this.

Too many RWNJs on the loose, no excuse for this.

[mbperrin]

7. More from a local station there:

Andrea Massa, 28, allegedly created a disturbance before a security checkpoint on the way into the school's commencement, B.U. spokesman Colin Riley said. He's expected to be in Brighton District Court on Monday.

Read more: http://www.wcvb.com/news/boston-university-man-with-guns-arrested-at-commencement/26044646#ixzz3284F6nof

[mbperrin]

8. Even more from another local:

Sally Massa said her husband turned and walked away when they saw people were being screened entering commencement.
She said that when he was stopped by police he told them he had two guns on him.
“I just want to be clear he didn’t mean to take it on there in any attempt to do anything. He was just exercising the right to have them.”
She said they had both just recently received their gun licenses and were unaware they could not carry them on private property.
The DA’s office said that Massa has a license to carry firearms for hunting and target practice only. He faces a civil penalty for violating the terms of his license and is also charged with criminal offenses of unlawfully carrying a firearm onto school grounds and disorderly conduct.

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2014/05/18/bu-police-arrest-man-allegedly-carrying-two-guns-outside-commencement/


Another dumbass exercising their "right" to carry without even understanding what his shiny new license even permits or prohibits. Must be some rigorous test, eh?

[Tanuki]

11. It doesn't add up. The wife first says he didn't realize he couldn't carry

on private property, then says he turned back when he saw that they were checking bags.Why would he have turned back if he didn't know he was going to get nailed for doing something illegal?

[tofuandbeer]

14. +1

[groundloop]

16. He had his weapons permit but didn't know where it was legal to carry a firearm.....

Something tells me that it's way too easy to get a permit if that's the case. That'd be like me flying over the White House and claiming I didn't know that I wasn't supposed to fly a plane in restricted airspace.

[ManiacJoe]

20. That story sounds better in the news

than saying "I knew what I was doing was illegal, but I didn't expect to get caught."

You get similar "reports" of guns "going off while being cleaned."

[wordpix]

21. this jackass needs to pay the highest penalty the law allows

Just exercising his right my ass.

[mackerel]

10. Is Boston U in a bad neighborhood? Do Boston U commencements tend to be

kind of dangerous? Two loaded handguns-for me at least-says gun fight. But then
I'm a Calstate educated chick so I'm kinda backward on exercising my right to carry...

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

23. Nope.

BU is down near Fenway Park. Yeah, the club crowd when drunk after hours can get rowdy, but nothing that a real man who knows how to use their mouth, brains and fists if need be can't handle.

[FunkyLeprechaun]

24. It's fairly safe

I lived on the campus for 6 years and there's a famous anti-gun billboard nearby as well.

[intaglio]

15. 2 Guns

Why 2 guns?

Why did he go in separately from his wife? (quote from Boston Herald article ...they just wanted to see her sister graduate.

They're actions stink.

[mackerel]

17. I feel for the graduating sister

it was supposed to be her day in the Sun and now she's embarrassed by all this news media attention

[bpj62]

18. Private Property

Your right to carry a gun stops at the private property owners property line or threshold. Just because the state may have passed a law stating that you can carry your gun into church or a bar or a day care doesn't mean the property owners rights have been usurped . I have raised this issue several times with pro second amendment people and they just stare at me like I have 3 eyes. Boston University is a private college and therefore can exercise its own rules. It is beyond my imagination why people felt it was necessary to carry a concealed weapon to a college commencement. Boston University is located in the Kenmore section of Boston which is a vibrant and diverse area of Boston. Fenway Park is also in that area. I sometimes feel that these people are paid to do this so that they can say the government is oppressing them and taking away their freedoms and guns. I just don't get it.