Hawaiʻi residents are invited to unload their guns this weekend at the state Department of Law Enforcement’s buyback event.
In return for their firearms, attendees will receive a $100 Foodland gift card for each pistol, rifle, shotgun, or glock switch. Those who turn in automatic firearms, assault rifles, and ghost guns, which are homemade guns with no serial number, will receive a $200 gift card.
Attendees will be allowed to turn in however many guns they wish, with up to a maximum of three gift cards.
No names, driver's licenses, or license plate checks will be required or recorded.
“The goal of our project is to get the firearms that are no longer wanted or needed off the street, and we're not going to ask any questions,” said Jared Redulla, the DLE deputy director.
“It's a very safe, efficient way to dispose of a firearm that people no longer want. The most important focus is to increase public safety surrounding firearms, and we want to provide a safe place for our community to do that.”
He said that ensuring the privacy of those participating in the event is the best way to get guns off the street.
This is the third event of its kind on Oʻahu, with roughly 500 guns collected at each previous buyback.
“That's 1,000 guns that will never make it into the hands of someone who might be a criminal,” Redulla added. “It will never get into the hands of a child or a dangerous person, and that really means that those guns will never be used to harm anyone.”
After the event, all collected guns will be destroyed, except stolen firearms. Redulla stated that law enforcement officers will do their best to return the guns to their initial owners.
The event is at Aloha Stadium on Saturday, April 12, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
