Gun buyback event collects 195 unwanted firearms

The two-county gun buyback event held by the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office on April 13 collected 195 unwanted firearms, one of which was an antique that was subsequently donated to the Springfield Armory.

The event was held at the Greenfield Police Station and Northampton Police Station. People who dropped off guns received gift cards in exchange. The program offered $75 for handguns, rifles and shotguns, and $150 for assault weapons.

This marked the third time the DA’s office has held a gun buyback program. A 2013 event collected 301 unwanted guns; one in 2016 garnered 273. The guns are destroyed to ensure they never harm anyone.

“Efforts to curb the epidemic of gun injuries and death must be taken on many fronts,” Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan said in a statement. “Gun buyback programs are a strategy worth trying because the more guns that are in circulation, the more chance there is for someone to be hurt or killed accidentally.

“Additionally, when guns are present, there is a much higher chance that a suicide attempt will be completed,” Sullivan continued. “We see this event as a small step to take as part of a multi-pronged effort to save lives.”

According to Everytown for Gun Safety, six out of 10 gun deaths in the United States are suicides.