More than 3,000 guns were exchanged for gift cards in just one day at buyback events across New York, state officials reported.
The gun swap Sunday included 185 assault-style rifles, 1,656 handguns, and 823 long guns, according to New York Attorney General Letitia James — an effort by the AG and state law enforcement to curb gun violence.
Nine gun buyback events went on at the same time — and represented the state’s most aggressive buyback effort to date, The Hill reported.
James announced that since 2019, her office has removed over 7,000 guns from communities in New York.
"Gun violence has caused so many avoidable tragedies and robbed us of so many innocent New Yorkers," James said in a statement.
New York State announced the buybacks in April, saying it would accept both working and nonworking unloaded firearms in exchange for gift cards with "no questions asked," The Hill reported.
Crime in New York City has been in the national spotlight, with House Republicans zeroing in on a situation they blame on Democrat mismanagement in big cities.
The House Judiciary Committee last month held a field hearing in New York City focusing on "victims of violent crime in Manhattan."
According to the Pew Research Center, 2021 data shows New York was among five states with the lowest rate of gun-related deaths. States with the highest rate included Mississippi, Louisiana, New Mexico, Alabama, and Wyoming.
The gun buybacks come as recent shooting violence has been reported around the nation, including mass shootings in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama — reigniting the debate over gun control, The Hill noted.
Fran Beyer ✉
Fran Beyer is a writer with Newsmax and covers national politics.
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