Cars for blocks: Columbus police say hundreds of guns acquired in Saturday gun buyback

The cars stretched for blocks in King-Lincoln Bronzeville on Saturday as Columbus police bought back hundreds of firearms from the public.

The gun buyback program, which ran from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Trinity Baptist Church, in the King-Lincoln Bronzeville neighborhood, drew people looking to sell as few as one to more than 10. In exchange for their guns, the Columbus Office of Violence Prevention offered up to $750 in gift cards per gun.

In total, the city bought 344 guns, including 201 handguns, 75 shotguns and 68 rifles — amounting to $136,600 paid out to residents.

There was a heavy police presence as vehicles filed into the church parking lot, where pistols and rifles were removed from their trunks and residents were compensated. The process was anonymous, and police said they weren't checking IDs or license plate numbers.

Around noon, Bruce Millard, 57, had been waiting for over an hour to sell an old gun that was in his safe for which he figured he'd get a couple bucks. The real point, he said, is to get guns off the street in a state where the Republican-controlled Ohio General Assembly opposes controlling firearms.

"You don't want guns that are laying around that could get stolen and end up in the hands of a kid," Millard said.

Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther called the event a resounding success, drawing even more people than anybody imagined.

"Having this many folks participating — lined all the way around the block to get guns off the streets — we think it's absolutely critical to help protecting children, families and our officers," Ginther said.

He said the reason they held it at Trinity Baptist Church was to create a welcoming environment in which people would feel comfortable.

Ali Alexander, 54, said that was the reason why he came by with an old firearm. His friend's funeral was held at the church several years ago, and he said he thought he'd do his part to help address gun violence.

"It's good to get it off the street with all this gun violence we got going on," Alexander said.

The buyback program comes as the Columbus homicide rate continues to track higher than 2022, with 120 homicides to date this year, compared with the 107 homicides at a similar time last year.

Columbus Assistant Chief Greg Bodker said the program is anticipated to remove hundreds of guns from the street, although they would not have a final tally until they finished. However, he said any guns off the street is good news.

"That's one less gun on our streets," Bodker said.

The guns that police bought back, he said, will be run through ballistics analysis to see if they match with any violent crimes in the city.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus police buy hundreds of guns back at Saturday event