Parents Who Lost Sons To Gun Violence Speak Out At Gun Buyback In Queens
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - The city holds another gun buyback program in Queens, in an effort to get the weapons off the streets.
WCBS 880's Sophia Hall reported that dozens of people turned weapons in my midday Saturday.
WCBS 880's Sophia Hall reports
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Two mothers who lost their sons to gun violence were at the church Saturday, encouraging anyone with a gun to turn it in to prevent other parents from going through what they've been through.
"This gun buyback program means a lot to me because it makes me wonder would my son still be here if those guns were off the street," Donna Hood told Hall.
Hood's 13-year-old son Kevin was fatally shot as he walked home from school in 2009.
"I feel like they're part of the solution. The thing of it is, no matter where you got the gun from, one less gun [on] the street is one more life that can be saved," Hood told Hall.
The buybacks are being held at Jerusalem Baptist Church in Jamaica, Queens Saturday. Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said the city has collected 7,700 guns since the the city's buyback program began.
Shanee Johnson said her 17-year-old son had just received a scholarship to St. John's when he was shot to death at a party.
"It's very important. I feel like if maybe the gun that killed my son, if that was turned in, then possibly he would still be here with us today," Shanee Johnson
People who turn in guns, whether they're legal or illegal weapons, receive $200 bank cards, no questions asked.
Do you think the gun buyback program has been effective in cutting down on gun violence? Sound off in the comments section below...
