Press Release

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that 108 guns were collected Saturday at the Southern Baptist Church in East Elmhurst during a gun buyback event. The weapons were exchanged for bank cards pre-loaded with cash. The event was completely anonymous, with no identification required and no questions asked.

The buyback served as the 13^th such event of DA Katz’s administration and marked one of the largest collections of guns to date. A total of 849 firearms have been recovered since 2020.

District Attorney Katz said: “Gun buyback initiatives remain an important strategy in our efforts to reduce gun violence and strengthen public safety across our communities. This Saturday, working with the NYPD, State Attorney General Letitia James and Pastor Michael V. Johnson, we collected 108 surrendered firearms, including six automatic weapons. Each firearm removed from our streets represents a step toward safer neighborhoods and fewer opportunities for violence. I’m grateful to our partners and to the residents who participated in another successful program.”

New York Attorney General Letitia James said: “Every one of the guns collected this weekend is a step in the right direction toward a safer community for everyone, especially our children. I thank District Attorney Katz and our partners in local government for their commitment to protecting New York families. Together, we will continue to empower community members to be a part of the solution against gun violence and help remove unwanted guns off our streets and out of our communities.”

The guns turned in were:

• 53 pistols
• 31 revolvers
• 6 assault weapons
• 6 rifles
• 4 derringers
• 3 shotguns
• 1 ghost gun
• 4 others (imitation guns, BB guns, etc.)

The event was co-sponsored by the NYPD and the Office of New York State Attorney General Letitia James.