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Virginia city plagued by violence to hold gun buyback event

The city of Portsmouth has had at least a dozen shootings since June 1, including one that killed four people last week.

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — A Virginia city that has been plagued by violence in recent weeks is planning to hold a gun buyback event.

Within a seven day span, the city of Portsmouth witnessed at least 12 shootings, including a quadruple shooting on Maple Avenue last week that killed four people. 

   

On June 25, community leaders in Hampton Roads are collaborating to host a gun buyback event at First Corinthians Baptist Church on Randolph Street. 

“We can throw scriptures at them, but now is the time to have solid conversations about why this is happening," pastor Aldrain Burden said, who leads the congregation.

The goal of the event is to reduce the number of guns sold illegally and prevent stolen firearms from being used for violence. 

“Whether it’s a rifle, a handgun, whatever kind of condition it’s in: they’ll get something in return," Ron Taylor said, president of the Hampton Roads Black Caucus, which is helping lead the event.

“Any day we can get one gun out of a kid’s hand is a victory in my book,” said City Councilman Chris Woodard, who voted in support of the program.

Police Chief Renado Prince said he was initially opposed to the program because, from his experience, guns handed over are typically those left behind after someone dies, not weapons being used for crime on the street.

“Somebody said something to me, which was, ‘What if that gun buyback program gets a gun out of the house that could’ve been stolen and used in the commission of a crime?'” Prince said. “It changed my whole world.”

According to Taylor, a form of ID will not be required to participate in the event, and people can return firearms in exchange for a monetary return with no questions asked. 

“What we’re doing is trying to raise the money to take these guns off the streets. It takes a village to raise a child, and it takes a village to make a safer community," Taylor said.

Vice Mayor De’Andre Barnes voted against the program, saying the city should address the root cause of what’s causing crime and preventing those involved in violence from “choosing that lifestyle."

Taylor noted that between two separate gun buyback events in Norfolk and Virginia Beach, those events were able to successfully intake dozens of weapons. 

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