Attorney General and Brooklyn DA collect 90 firearms at gun buyback event

More than 3,000 guns collected statewide

May 1, 2023 Rob Abruzzese

Guns recovered from Brooklyn Gun Buyback on Statewide Gun Buyback Day. Photos courtesy of the AG’s Office.

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New York Attorney General Letitia James and Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced that their offices, in partnership with the New York City Police Department (NYPD), successfully collected 90 firearms at a recent community gun buyback event held over the weekend in Brooklyn.

“Getting firearms off our streets is a collective effort and gun buybacks are one component of a multi-pronged strategy employed by my office,” said District Attorney Gonzalez. “We were proud to partner with Attorney General Letitia James this weekend, as part of her statewide initiative that helped reduce the number of guns that can fall into the wrong hands.”

More than 70 guns were turned in at the Bronx buyback event.

The event was part of a larger, historic initiative, with nine simultaneous buyback events taking place on the same day in communities throughout the state. The statewide effort resulted in more than 3,000 guns being secured.

Since taking office in 2019, Attorney General James has removed over 7,000 guns from New York communities, she said.

“Gun violence continues to devastate our communities and has caused so many avoidable tragedies and deaths,” said Attorney General James. “Through our close partnership with District Attorney Gonzalez and the NYPD, we were able to organize this historic, single-day gun buyback initiative to combat gun violence and keep New Yorkers safe. Every gun that we removed today is a potential tragedy averted and will help make a difference in protecting communities throughout our city and state.”

The gun buyback program aims to reduce gun violence, promote public safety, and create safer communities. Participants in the program can turn in firearms without facing legal consequences, providing an incentive for individuals to remove guns from their homes and neighborhoods. The Brooklyn event saw the collection of a variety of firearms, including five assault rifles, 51 handguns, and 11 long guns.

There were 751 Guns Turned in at Syracuse Gun Buyback.

Law enforcement and public officials praised the initiative for its role in helping to prevent guns from falling into the wrong hands and contributing to a safer New York. NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Community Affairs Mark Stewart expressed the department’s pride in partnering with the New York State Attorney General’s Office for the gun buyback program, emphasizing the shared responsibility in taking action to prevent further gun-related tragedies.

Various state and local officials, such as State Senator Julia Salazar, Assemblymember Maritza Davila, and New York City Council Member Lincoln Restler, also voiced their support for the program and expressed gratitude to Attorney General Letitia James and District Attorney Eric Gonzalez for their efforts in fighting gun violence and promoting public safety.

“I’m thankful to Attorney General Letitia James and the other partners of the Gun Buyback program for hosting this event,” said State Senator Julia Salazar. “The gun buyback program provides community members with an incentive to improve public safety and decrease the number of firearms in our neighborhoods.”

Advocacy groups like Moms Demand Action and Giffords Law Center also lauded the gun buyback initiative, highlighting New York’s ongoing commitment to a multi-faceted approach to saving lives and its position as a national leader in gun safety.