A total of $30,000 in gift cards were handed out to residents in exchange for the 293 guns, including seven assault rifles, that were voluntarily surrendered during a Saturday gun buyback event in Central Long Beach, the Long Beach Police Department said Monday.
The event was sponsored by Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, whose office provided the gift cards in an attempt to get guns off the streets. The event was the second event Hahn has hosted in the city since August, with a total of 544 guns being turned in.
The event was held at MacArthur Park in Central Long Beach.
“These are the types of guns we’re getting off the streets,” Hahn said in a video posted to Twitter Saturday. “Assault weapons used by a sniper. I’m glad that we’ve gotten that out of the hands of someone that could use it in the wrong way.”
These are the type of guns we’re getting off the street here in Long Beach today: pic.twitter.com/0tmgc1yJW3
— Janice Hahn (@SupJaniceHahn) June 10, 2023
Hahn said before the event in a statement that the buybacks were prompted by a push to get unwanted guns out of homes where there is potential for them to cause more devastation for families.
According to the LBPD, Saturday’s collection included 115 handguns, 100 rifles, and 42 shotguns, all of which were eligible for a $100 gift card. Two of the handguns turned in were “ghost guns,” according to the LBPD.
Another 29 non-functioning guns were turned in, which were eligible for a $50 gift card. The seven assault rifles that were turned over were eligible for $200 gift cards. The gift cards were for Amazon or local grocery stores, according to Hahn’s office.