BURIEN, Wash. — On Saturday the King County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) held a gun buyback event in Burien to help prevent what they call "increasing gun violence."
In total, the agency collected 287 firearms during the four-hour event and gave out $36,525 in gift cards. The following is the list of firearms collected:
- 11 AR-15/AK-47
- 68 Pistols
- 46 Revolvers
- 70 Shotguns
- 75 Rifles (not AR-15)
- Eight Muzzleloading
- Seven Antiques
- Two Other
This was the first event held by the Gift Cards for Guns program in King County, which was created last summer. They plan to hold more events throughout the county. King County leaders plan for the program to be permanent and to evolve over time.
“Eventually anyone who wants to turn in a gun, that can’t make a special event like today, could go into one of our sheriff offices and turn it over safely there,” said King County Council Member Rod Dembowski.
The KCSO said these events are a good and safe way for gun owners to dispose of guns they no longer want. The department said this can help make sure these guns don't end up in the wrong hands.
“At least they have somewhere they can bring them to make sure those are not later stolen or taken in burglaries or thefts or things like that,” said KCSO Sgt. Corbett Ford.
The ultimate goal is to keep the community safe, and the department said this is just one small way they can do that.
"If we can find ways to get guns from continuing to get on the streets, that is certainly one way to make a small impact,” said Ford.
While the KCSO is hoping to reduce gun violence by making sure guns are secured, some state lawmakers are taking a different approach by trying to pass House Bill 1240.
It would ban guns considered to be assault weapons from being sold in the state.
"It’s too easy for someone who means harm to get one of these weapons, or gain access to one of these weapons, to go kill innocent people,” said Dylan O’Connor with Washington Gun Responsibility, who is in favor of the bill passing.
But other people, like Wade Gaughran who owns Wade’s Eastside Guns, are opposed to the bill.
He said this legislation is actually having the opposite effect. He said his gun store in Bellevue has seen a 400% increase in sales over the past six weeks.
While supporters of the bill say these types of guns should not be in communities, people opposed to the bill say law-abiding citizens should still have access to them.
"It's just insulting to anybody who is in the firearms business,” said Wade Gaughran, of the bill. “We do the firearms business right here. We do background checks, we make sure we are only selling to people who can legally own guns, we train people on the safe use of firearms.”
The bill that would ban guns considered to be assault weapons from being sold in Washington already passed through the House and passed a Senate committee this week. If it passes through the full Senate, the ban will go into effect immediately.