El Paso County is taking your unwanted firearms, no questions asked, and you’ll also receive a gift card ranging from $50 to $200, depending on the weapon.
The Gun Buy Back event is happening from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, May 17, at the SISD Student Activities Complex, located at 1300 Joe Battle Blvd.
Those turning in non-functioning firearms will receive a Mastercard gift card worth $50, while a $150 gift card will be given out for shotguns or hunting rifles, $150 for handguns and $200 for assault rifles.
Gift cards will be active for 12 months and are on a first-come, first-served basis. The county noted that in 2023, gift cards were sold out by 11 a.m.
Firearms must be unloaded and transported in the trunk of the vehicle, ammunition may be turned in (gift cards are only for firearms), and there is no limit on the number of firearms per vehicle.
Ghost guns, or guns that are unregistered and produced by a person instead of a licensed manufacturer, will not be accepted.
The process is meant to be anonymous, meaning no identification is needed, and residency or citizenship status will not be checked, according to El Paso County.
The program is meant to address “an uptick in gun-related violence and deaths in recent years,” and is spearheaded by County Commissioner Jackie Butler, Precinct 1, in partnership between El Paso County, the El Paso County Attorney’s Office, and the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office.
If you have questions about the event, call 915-273-3594
Natassia Paloma may be reached at npaloma@gannett.com, @NatassiaPaloma on Twitter; natassia_paloma on Instagram, and Natassia Paloma Thompson on Facebook.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso County hosting gun buy back event. How to get up to $200 for turning in a firearm
Reporting by Natassia Paloma, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
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