SAN ANTONIO – Hundreds of people came out to the Alamodome on Sunday to trade in their guns for money. District 9 Councilman John Courage hosted the event and said he just wants people to feel safe in their homes.
The voluntary gun exchange brought in more than 550 weapons, all in working condition, not including broken or toy guns, in exchange for H-E-B gift cards.
“One guy walked away with $650 in gift cards for the weapons he turned in,” Courage said. “Our goal is to make people feel safer in their homes. There are too many people who are committing suicide in their own homes. There are too many cases of domestic violence and women being murdered in their homes with a handgun. There are too many cases of children finding weapons in the home.”
The reason for people who are donating these guns are all different but they all have a similar goal in mind – safety.
“I’m going to have to go into a retirement home, and I am not gonna be able to take a gun into a retirement home,” a former gun owner named Shannah said. “I would have no other way to dispose of it, and I don’t think I can give it to Goodwill.”
“Having guns in the house, you’ve got to lock them up,” another former gun owner named Randy said. “You’ve got to take care of them. You’ve got to maintain them. And if you’re not going to use them, get rid of them.”
The guns that people are giving up will never be used again.
“Every weapon we collect will be destroyed,” Courage said. “It will never get a chance to get back out on the street to harm anybody or to be used in a crime.”
“I think it’s a brilliant idea,” Randy said. “I think the more guns off the street, the better it is for everyone.”
This isn’t the first year of the weapons exchange, and Courage hopes it isn’t the last either.