224 guns collected during buyback event at Southfield church
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (FOX 2) - A gun buyback event over the weekend brought in 224 guns, while nearly $19,000 in gift cards were given out.
The event at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Southfield gave people a way to dispose of unwanted guns in exchange for gift cards.
Preliminary numbers show that 133 handguns and 87 long guns were surrendered. Eight of those weapons were stolen.
"This is a tremendous success," said The Very Rev. Chris Yaw, rector of St. David’s. "People were kind, orderly, and extremely grateful for the opportunity to give back guns they no longer wanted."
Yaw referenced a New York Times investigation into how states and municipalities, like Michigan, don't destroy donated guns. Instead, allow a third party to take the guns for free, break them down, then sell the parts on the internet.
Yaw said he would be following up with government officials over this.
"We are appalled at this kind of process," Yaw said. "The good people who come to our church and give us their weapons are under the assumption that these weapons would be destroyed, not recycled, and we will work hard to see that this, in fact, will happen, as soon as possible."