EL PASO, Texas – El Paso County hosted its second annual drive-thru gun buyback event at the El Paso County Coliseum on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. The program allowed residents to anonymously turn in unwanted firearms in exchange for gift cards.
Law enforcement said that having unused guns lying around is dangerous, especially for children, and getting rid of them can make a home safer. Community members hope that this program will protect El Pasoans by reducing gun violence.
“Imagine every gun that comes in here was a gun that was laying around,” El Paso County Judge Ricardo A. Samaniego said. “It’s not a gun that was in a safety box or anything like that, otherwise they probably wouldn’t bring it.”
Non-functioning firearms were worth a $50 gift card and a shotgun was worth $100. A handgun was worth $150 and an assault rifle was worth $200. The police were able to collect more than 450 firearms that were to be destroyed within a few weeks.
The interactions were less than five minutes because the police did not ask any questions. They did not ask participants where the guns came from, why they had them, or why they wanted to get rid of them.
“I told the officer this is not my gun, it’s my sister’s. She passed away and I don’t want it in my house,” community member Dolores Ojeda said. “He checked it out and said, ‘Fine, no problem,’ and it was easy.”
The event was controversial to some, including a group of gun enthusiasts that set up across the street and offered to buy guns for cash instead in an effort the described as protecting Second Amendment rights.
“I’m just trying to keep the guns in the community,” private gun buyer Montwin Delton said. “Trying to buy them for myself, maybe one of my buddies that wants something.”
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