A gun buyback event in San Carlos on Saturday collected 392 firearms, eight of which were assault weapons, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office.
In total, $39,700 was paid out to individuals as part of the third gun buyback held in partnership with the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, and the Redwood City, San Carlos, and Belmont police departments..
Organizers offered $100 for handguns and rifles and $200 for assault rifles, no questions asked.
Some people, rather than accepting the money, chose to donate to San Mateo County Sheriff’s Activities League, which provides programming for over 11,000 youth per year in the county. The total donation to the SMC Activities League was $1,450.
The buyback events were initiated by the Citizens for a San Mateo County Gun Buyback, which worked to solicit funding for the events from multiple city and town governments in the county. A buyback in May last year in Redwood City led to the collection of 427 guns. In December last year, 442 guns were collected at another event in Redwood City.
Photo courtesy of the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office
