HOUSTON — More than 500 guns were collected at the City of Houston's fifth gun buyback event that was held Saturday on Harwin.
City officials said 559 guns were handed over and $77,850 in gift cards were distributed to attendees.
Like past gun buyback events, the city partnered with the Harris County Sheriff's Office to make it all happen. HCSO Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said it's an opportunity for law enforcement to serve the community in a different way.
"On a number of occasions, we've heard from individuals that said, 'My loved one passed away. They had weapons. I do not want them in the house and I did not have a safe way of disposing of them,'" the sheriff said. "This provides that option. We want to make sure we're preventing those instances where maybe someone is perhaps breaking into a home and someone comes across those weapons and now it lands on the wrong hands."
Gun locks and gun safes were also distributed at the event.
At the first event at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church in July 2022, law enforcement collected 793 guns and gave nearly $100,000 in gift cards At the second event in October 2022, which was also at the METRO Westchase Park and Ride, organizers collected 1,252 guns and gave out nearly $160,000 in gift cards.
The event continued to grow. At the third one at NRG Park on June 10 this year, 1,446 guns were collected and more than $170,000 in gift cards were handed out.