Massive response overwhelms Seattle's gun buy-back
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SEATTLE - The city's first gun buy-back program in 20 years was a victim of its own success Saturday - turning away people more than three hours early after a huge turnout used up all the gift certificates available.
But police said no one should fret if they didn't make it to Saturday's buy-back because others are planned for the near future.
A huge crowd of hundreds of people flocked to the special buy-back program, creating a traffic jam in downtown Seattle as people eager to exchange their weapons for gift cards made their way to the drop-off site under Interstate 5.
KOMO News reporter Mark Miller, at the scene, said several hundred gun owners showed up to turn in their weapons and receive the gift certificates in return.
The massive turnout clogged traffic on Sixth Avenue and on an I-5 off-ramp leading to the buy-back area, located in a parking lot underneath the freeway between James and Cherry streets.
Scalpers offering cash for guns held up signs on surrounding streets, trying to tempt gun owners before they reached the official drop-off point.
The buy-back originally was scheduled to continue through 3 p.m. But at 11:45 a.m., police were forced to turn away anyone who wasn't already in line as they started running low on gift cards.
Participants received a gift card worth up to $100 for each handgun, rifle or shotgun turned in. Assault weapons could be worth twice as much. And additional gift cards were given for high-capacity magazines that come with the guns.
The objective of the buy-back is to reduce gun violence.
"If we can prevent just one child, one innocent bystander, from being the victim of a random accident or the target of an unstable person, it will be well worth our time and effort," says King County Executive Dow Constantine.
But not everyone is convinced the tactic will work - they say criminals with guns are in no rush to turn them in. And in fact, statistics show a previous effort in Seattle failed to prevent shootings.
The last time a buy-back program was held in Seattle - in 1992 - about 1,100 weapons were turned in. But in the six months that followed, the average number of firearms-related homicides increased. The mean number of firearms-related assaults in Seattle also increased, as did the mean number of robberies with guns. Even the average number of accidental shooting deaths more than doubled, according to data in a government journal.
Most of the weapons turned in Saturday were rifles - although some were old or no longer operational. But there one or two assault weapons. The most unusual weapon turned in was a military surface-to-air missile launcher, a single-use military device that had already been fired and was no longer functional. The owner turned it in and received a gift card.
David Daily, a gun owner who came to the buy-back, said he turned in two rifles because he has inherited several guns over the past couple of years and has no need for so many. He wants to make sure none of the weapons wind up in the wrong hands.
"For me this is the short way to know that the guns I don't want are safely disposed of," he says. "I would never want one of my guns to be stolen or sold to a private dealer and end up in the hands of a criminal."
Once the guns are collected, police plan to check serial numbers to see if any are stolen. If so, they will not contact the person who turned in the weapon. Instead, they will contact the gun's registered owner and see if that person wants their firearm returned to them or destroyed.
Nearly $120,000 was raised to buy back the weapons and ammunition by the Seattle Police Foundation, nonprofits, the University of Washington Medical Center, private businesses such as Amazon.
A program supported by Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, known as "A Better Seattle," also donated $10,000 to back the effort to get weapons off the streets.
But police said no one should fret if they didn't make it to Saturday's buy-back because others are planned for the near future.
A huge crowd of hundreds of people flocked to the special buy-back program, creating a traffic jam in downtown Seattle as people eager to exchange their weapons for gift cards made their way to the drop-off site under Interstate 5.
KOMO News reporter Mark Miller, at the scene, said several hundred gun owners showed up to turn in their weapons and receive the gift certificates in return.
The massive turnout clogged traffic on Sixth Avenue and on an I-5 off-ramp leading to the buy-back area, located in a parking lot underneath the freeway between James and Cherry streets.
Scalpers offering cash for guns held up signs on surrounding streets, trying to tempt gun owners before they reached the official drop-off point.
The buy-back originally was scheduled to continue through 3 p.m. But at 11:45 a.m., police were forced to turn away anyone who wasn't already in line as they started running low on gift cards.
Participants received a gift card worth up to $100 for each handgun, rifle or shotgun turned in. Assault weapons could be worth twice as much. And additional gift cards were given for high-capacity magazines that come with the guns.
The objective of the buy-back is to reduce gun violence.
"If we can prevent just one child, one innocent bystander, from being the victim of a random accident or the target of an unstable person, it will be well worth our time and effort," says King County Executive Dow Constantine.
But not everyone is convinced the tactic will work - they say criminals with guns are in no rush to turn them in. And in fact, statistics show a previous effort in Seattle failed to prevent shootings.
The last time a buy-back program was held in Seattle - in 1992 - about 1,100 weapons were turned in. But in the six months that followed, the average number of firearms-related homicides increased. The mean number of firearms-related assaults in Seattle also increased, as did the mean number of robberies with guns. Even the average number of accidental shooting deaths more than doubled, according to data in a government journal.
Most of the weapons turned in Saturday were rifles - although some were old or no longer operational. But there one or two assault weapons. The most unusual weapon turned in was a military surface-to-air missile launcher, a single-use military device that had already been fired and was no longer functional. The owner turned it in and received a gift card.
David Daily, a gun owner who came to the buy-back, said he turned in two rifles because he has inherited several guns over the past couple of years and has no need for so many. He wants to make sure none of the weapons wind up in the wrong hands.
"For me this is the short way to know that the guns I don't want are safely disposed of," he says. "I would never want one of my guns to be stolen or sold to a private dealer and end up in the hands of a criminal."
Once the guns are collected, police plan to check serial numbers to see if any are stolen. If so, they will not contact the person who turned in the weapon. Instead, they will contact the gun's registered owner and see if that person wants their firearm returned to them or destroyed.
Nearly $120,000 was raised to buy back the weapons and ammunition by the Seattle Police Foundation, nonprofits, the University of Washington Medical Center, private businesses such as Amazon.
A program supported by Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, known as "A Better Seattle," also donated $10,000 to back the effort to get weapons off the streets.
Anyone who would bring their guns to get a $100 gift card of even $200 is a moron indeed! You sell that gun or rifle to a licensed gun dealer and get some times 10 times that! This fear mongering BS, no amount of guns for cash is going to make a dent in the amount of guns in the country or even say it will save a life!
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This is the state of Washington's and the anti-gun people fear mongering effort to scare the crap out of people! And it will do absolutely nothing in the order of protecting someone from being shot by a gun! It's people who are shooting people, not guns! Anyone who thinks that we could rid our nation of guns is a freaking moron! How stupid can you people be!
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What about the vehicle (cars, pickups, and big trucks) killers on our nations highways and byways and city streets who "kill ten times" what guns kill and no one says anything about this, let alone about taking away cars, pickups or big trucks! Why not make more laws concerning vehicles as to curb vehicle deaths? Makes far more sense than trying to get rid of guns!
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We have a nation of idiots and followers who will do what ever the loudest person says they should do!
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Morons, the lot of ya!
 @Postone There are plenty of guns not even worth 100 bucks, so it can actually be a pretty good deal. And I'm sure some people hand over guns because they were used in a crime..
@PleaseBeSmart@PostoneOnce again someone (You) misses the point...
To those who believe this will reduce gun violence, I have an umbrella without webbing to sell you that will keep you dry when it rains...
Yes, they call it a Hefty Trash Bag.
So, are they going to offer the guns for sale back to the public for profit; or are they going to do a good-buddy pick over job of the best of the lot and then save some for pistols for "planters" and secret 2nd and 3rd back ups, and save some for doing deals with drug dealers, pimps and gang bangers?
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The real and the best peace officers help train their employers (the public) in weaponry, self-defense training and forensic observation, so their employers (the public) are safer, less frightened and can be more useful as backup, and thus the level of crime drops.
I had to read the Register-Guard to find out how 'massive' the response was. It was 160 guns.Â
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Seattle - population
620,778 (2011)
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"Massive" must be in the eye of the beholder.
 @hewhoo Thank you for the update. I tried finding the true number of turn-ins (I figured it hadn't been very fruitful for them or they would have just said the number) but even the Ceasefire Washington people are bragging about this one on there website.
@hewhoo The propoganda "nesw" outllets are pushing an anti-second amendment agenda for thier corporate masters.
What a bunch of fools.
So by there own admission gun buy backs do nothing at curbing crime and violence. Sounds like a big waste of taxpayer dollars in police overtime with zero effect to show for it. If these people were truly worried about getting a firearm out of there home without selling it they could just as easily contact the sheriffs office and set up a surrender of weapon. Of course then they wouldn't be getting paid.Â
 @Twistthewrist And the police will turn right around and "confiscate" the "good" guns. I wonder how many of these will be sold under the table. For $100...I'd like to get a list of what's for sale!
just the beginning of taking your guns away! yes many are probably worthless and many people need the cash because of the economy to pay there rent/electric and so on. i would bet if you asked they would say they would love to have everybody that owns a gun to turn it in! then we all could be defensless! to politicians and our own governmant!!
And nary a weapon will be missed.
"Scalpers offering cash for guns " Never miss a chance to use negative words in your biased propoganda huh kval. All over the country Patriots are attending these events to buy guns that the police state would destroy and are saving the "tools of freedom" to be used another day.
 @Paul Kersey. this has been done before long ago, yes the government creates a worthless economy and then uses that as the tool to get people to fork over their protection for a cheap dollar, but when that money is gone, so is your freedom, and then it sinks into your mind all to late what you just did!
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Merely a marketing tool for the liberal agenda. The hacks putting this scam on know full well, this will serve no other purpose than that. Heck, I wish they'd do that here. I'd have hubby get rid of the broken single shot shotguns that he can't even give away on armslist.
"The objective of the buy-back is to reduce gun violence."
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Test your IQ! Â Did you know that: Â
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1. The majority of people who "sell back" guns in these programs do not commit violent crimes with firearms?
2. The majority of gun violence is committed by criminals who do not obey laws and will obtain firearms illegally?
3. The majority of victims killed by criminal use of a firearm were unarmed?
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Now, dear Seattle residents, do you "feel safer" knowing there are fewer firearms in the hands of your fellow law-abiding citizens?
A great way to sell nearly worthless guns for a decent price. And for criminals, a great way to get rid of a murder weapon!