Urban Ventures and partners host gun buyback event

This past weekend over a dozen community partners gathered at Urban Ventures to hold a gun buyback even in an effort to make our city safer.

Community members were able to swap illegal guns for a gift card, with no questions asked. “We want it to be brought in because that’s another gun that will not kill another child or another young person,” said Priscilla Brown, director of the Urban Ventures Pathways gun-diversion program, and one of the organizers of the event.

There was a line out the door an hour before the event began. That line persisted throughout the day, and the large turnout meant they had to start turning people away hours before the event was scheduled to end. Over 100 firearms were removed from circulation.

The Minneapolis Police Department handled the collection of firearms, meanwhile over a dozen other community partners ranging from health care to community development were on site to offer resources to people who made need them.

“Things like food resources, housing, resources, financial support all really tie into someone’s ability to cope with whatever stressors the outside world is putting on them,” Kysa McSky, from Hennepin Healthcare, said.

The collected weapons will be destroyed. Parts of the firearms will be used to create artwork benefitting the victims of gun violence.

One community member brought in a firearm their child had used in a death by suicide. They shared they were grateful to see an event like this happening, and felt it was important not just to get rid of the weapon, but to know it was going to be destroyed.

“When you break it down, we’re talking about building healthy families again so that we can have a healthy community and a safe community,” Priscilla Brown said.