Santa Clara County law enforcement offices and the District Attorney’s Office are asking the public to turn in their unwanted guns—for cash—at a Dec. 10 firearms buyback event in Morgan Hill.
The gun buyback will take place 9am-2pm at the Morgan Hill Outdoor Sports Center, 16500 Condit Road. Authorities are offering $100 each for handguns, rifles and shotguns; and $200 each for ghost guns and assault weapons, according to the DA’s office.
No questions will be asked about who owns the surrendered firearms or where they came from, authorities said.
Gun buyback events help create a safer environment where it is more difficult for children, criminals and those with mental health concerns to access dangerous weapons, according to authorities.
“An unwanted gun is just waiting for a child’s curiosity, or a criminal’s bad intentions,” DA Jeff Rosen said. “Let’s not just cross our fingers that there won’t be a tragedy. Let’s work together to make sure that every gun in this county is legal, locked and owned by a responsible person.”
Firearms surrendered at the buyback event must be functional, but unloaded and transported in the trunk of your vehicle, the DA’s office said. Those returning firearms must remain in their car. No ammunition is allowed.
There is a limit of five firearms per person; and funds are limited to a first-come, first-served basis until the funds run out, according to authorities.
In addition to the DA’s office, participating in the Dec. 10 gun buyback are Gilroy Police Department, Morgan Hill Police Department, Morgan Hill Community Law Enforcement Foundation, Santa Clara County Behavioral Health Services, Santa Clara County Public Health, Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office, Supervisor Mike Wasserman, Supervisor Otto Lee and South County Youth Task Force.
County officials and local law enforcement last held a gun buyback event in South County in December 2019, at the City of Gilroy Corporation Yard. During that event—which took place months after the deadly Garlic Festival shooting—residents turned in 493 unwanted guns that are now removed from the streets forever, according to authorities.
