A Rochester gun buyback collected 606 firearms Tuesday, bringing the New York attorney general's statewide total from such events to 10,534 since 2019. The event was organized by the attorney general's office and Rochester Police Department, according to the state announcement.
The Rochester collection included 44 assault weapons, 177 handguns and 247 long guns. The statewide total comes from more than 50 buyback events held by the attorney general's office over seven years.
The event was hosted at the Church of Love Faith Center. Attorney General Letitia James said the voluntary buybacks give residents a way to surrender unwanted firearms.
Rep. Joe Morelle called the 10,000-gun milestone significant and credited cooperation between the state and Rochester police. Monroe County Executive Adam Bello said buybacks offer county residents a way to dispose of firearms they no longer want in their homes.
Several Rochester leaders described the event as one part of a broader approach to violence prevention. City Councilmember LaShunda Leslie-Smith said removing unwanted guns should be paired with investments in young people and neighborhoods.
Zequa Tookes, director of Rochester's Office of Violence Prevention, also urged continued community investment and early intervention for young people at risk of gun violence.
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