Wilkinsburg Police, Local Groups Partner For Gun Buy Back Event

By: KDKA-TV News Staff

WILKINSBURG, Pa. (KDKA) -- Wilkinsburg Police and local groups partnered to get guns off the streets Saturday.

It was a gun buy back program.

Organizers say they were inspired to act because of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012.

"A few years ago when they did the Sandy Hook shooting, we decided as a group to help with the violence in Wilkinsburg," said Reverend Thomas Mitchell, Vice President of the Sanctuary Project. "And so with the [police] chief and the Mayor, we came together to say this would be a good way to make our contribution to stopping gun violence in our neighborhood."

Giant Eagle giftcards were given to people who turned in the guns. Those guns will be checked to see if they're stolen and eventually will be destroyed.