SEATTLE — City and county leaders Monday called Saturday’s gun buyback event in Seattle a big success.
Police recovered 716 guns and 600 pounds of unused ammunition in just over three hours. Monday, officers displayed many of the weapons. Among them was a missile launcher tube, semi-automatic “street sweeper” shotguns and a homemade assault rifle.
King County Executive, Dow Constantine said, “If we can prevent just one child, one innocent bystander from being the victim of an accident or a person whose anger has boiled over, it will be well worth our time and effort.”
Despite the huge community response, critics continue to take aim at these events, arguing they’re little more than a publicity stunt.
Alan Gottlieb, who is with the Second Amendment Foundation, said, “The people turning the guns in are people getting their money for it, or their gift card, would have never misused the gun anyway. There’s no correlation between the safety on the streets and gun buybacks.”
Gottlieb also pointed out that many of the guns turned in were in poor condition. But King County Sheriff John Urquhart said that’s not the point.
“I don’t care if a gun is old or new, it’s just as deadly,” Urquhart said. “The point is to get it out of people’s closets and underneath their bed, between the mattress, out of the attic and get it turned in when people don’t want guns anymore. I think that’s absolutely critical.”
One unexpected byproduct of the Saturday event was that private buyers were hanging around outside and offering cash for some of the weapons intended for the buyback. That got under Seattle Mayor Mike Mcginn’s skin.
“You got to see exactly what it means when we say there’s an unregulated gun market in the city of Seattle,” McGinn said. “It was absolutely crazy what we saw out there.”
8 Comments to “Seattle’s gun buyback event called a huge success”
January 28, 2013 at 6:02 PM
We disagree with gun guru Gottlieb because many of these guns could have been stolen from a cabin, a car or home and used by criminals. Also, this might have prevented an accidental shooing of a child. Now the guns are heading to meltdown and out of circulation. Don't believe the NRA fear mongering.
January 28, 2013 at 10:12 PM
You are dumb. One of the most violent cities in the whole of US of A is Chicago, a gun free zone.
January 29, 2013 at 9:38 AM
Dear dumb Meghan. They do have a gang problem there and the surrounding communities, outside of Chicago's city limits, sell guns to the gang bangers.
January 28, 2013 at 10:15 PM
You know what would save even more lives? Outlaw abortion!! We have lost more than 56 million people because of this atrocity. Everyday 3000 innocent babies lose their lives. End the Anerican Holocaust!! Value human life and then we can finally be a culture of peace!
January 29, 2013 at 8:01 AM
Gottlieb also pointed out that many of the guns turned in were in poor condition. But King County Sheriff John Urquhart said that’s not the point.
On another site, they showed pictures of some of the guns, most would not have fired.
January 29, 2013 at 8:16 AM
Do You Really Think That All The Guns You Got "OFF THE STREETS" came from "CRIMINALS"???????
January 29, 2013 at 8:29 AM
I’m so tired of hearing about guns!! Guns in good guys hands are good, in bad guys hands are bad! So when do we start helping the bad guys get medical insurance so they don’t even think about killing or hurting others!! Our state took medical insurance from the adults when we went into resecion, mentaly ill people are now everywere untreated and ready to hurt others or themselves! Humm don’t take a genus to figure this out!! Guns don’t kill.. People do!! Just another way for our state to keep $ in their pockets and throw blame everywhere else!!! Step up Washington and help your people!!!!
January 29, 2013 at 9:43 AM
Guns were good for Keith Ratcliff weren't they? Boy oh boy! He had more guns than the average police department and it didn't protect him. No sir! Bullet to the head.