BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – A gun buyback event held in Bessemer over the weekend yielded impressive results, surprising organizers and the community. District Attorney Lynneice Washington reported a significant response, possibly driven by growing concerns over violence in the area.
A total of 120 guns were collected during the event, but Washington said the main thing that stood out to him were the two ghost guns voluntarily turned in. Ghost guns, lacking serial numbers, raise public safety concerns.
The event, hosted at the Bessemer Civic Center, began at 9 a.m., although participants started arriving as early as 7:45 a.m. Law enforcement agencies, including the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and Bessemer Police Department, facilitated the buyback without asking for any names. Washington said this shows the community is getting weary of the violence.
“We have to take a proactive act, we have to be more proactive and doing those things to remove the guns from the street,” Washington stated. “And it was so amazing because we got the participation from the community. So that speaks volumes, people are tired of the senseless gun violence.”