Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa says a total of 1,137 firearms, including five semi-automatic assault weapons, were turned in during the two-day “Guns for Cash” event held December 14 and 15 at the Antioch Baptist Church and the Higher Ground Temple in Camden.
Chiesa said he’s not aware of any single gun buyback event in New Jersey that has yielded as many guns.
He acknowledged that gun buybacks alone cannot solve the problem of gun violence, but said they are an important element of a broader law enforcement strategy to take firearms out of circulation and reduce the number of shooting deaths.
“I am not suggesting that gun buybacks are some sort of magic solution to the complex and multi-faceted problem of violence in our society. But we have to keep forging ahead using all of the strategies at our disposal. And while we’re at it, we have to keep thinking about new strategies as well. Here in New Jersey, inaction is not an option,” Chiesa said during a press conference at Camden Police headquarters where all of the buyback guns were on display.