Sharletta Evans, right, whose 3-year-old son, Casson, was killed in a drive-by shooting in 1995, helps Fred Martin, a volunteer blacksmith for the nonprofit group RAWtools, hammer a rifle barrel into a garden tool at a church in Denver, Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022. The Colorado Springs-based group transforms guns into garden tools and draws inspiration from the Bible verse, "They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks." (AP Photo/Thomas Peipert)

AURORA | On the heels of last month’s firearm buyback, where 189 guns were collected and destroyed, Aurora City Councilmember Curtis Gardner says another buyback is planned April 9 at the Aurora Day Labor Center.

Colorado Springs-based nonprofit RAWtools will be accepting and destroying weapons between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on the April 9. Gardner is sponsoring the series of eight buyback events along with Denver City Counci member Amanda Sawyer.

“We heard some very moving stories from residents turning in their firearms, including one parent turning in the firearm her son had used to commit suicide,” Gardner said of the March buyback, hosted at Empower Field at Mile High. “I am so appreciative of the hard work of the partners and look forward to the first event that will be hosted within the City of Aurora.”

We are seeing these weapons stolen out of resident’s cars and homes and used in other violent crimes,” Sawyer said. “These events provide residents who have been impacted by gun violence an opportunity for closure knowing that those weapons will be turned into garden tools and something that has created harm in their lives is now going to create health in the community.”

Upcoming buyback events include:

  • April 9 – Aurora Day Labor Center / Mosaic Church – 1521 Dayton St., Aurora.
  • May 21 – Platt Park Church – 1601 S. Clarkson St., Denver.
  • June 11 (National Gun Buyback Day) – Heritage Christian Center – 14401 E. Exposition Ave., Aurora.
  • July 16 – Park Hill Golf Course – 4141 E. 35th Ave., Denver.
  • Aug. 20 – Living Water Christian Center – 1585 Kingston St., Aurora.
  • Sept. 17 –  New Life Christian Church – 12505 Elmendorf Place, Denver.
  • Oct. 15 – Colorado Community Church – 14000 E. Jewell Ave., Aurora.

9 replies on “Gun buyback planned April 9 at the Aurora Day Labor Center”

    1. Depends on how you define success. Past buybacks have yielded over 300 guns, many of them semi-automatic weapons. Those are guns that will never be misplaced, or stolen, or sold by yard sales or Craigslist. These programs also give a feeling of achieving tangible results to people working to reduce the epidemic of gun violence in our society.

      This demonstrates that we are not helpless in confronting gun violence in the face of government inaction and well-funded opposition by firearms manufacturers and their front organization, the NRA.

  2. Other than some feel good political symbolism, I’m hopeful the people that push this concept are also smart enough to know this absolutely does nothing.

    1. Tell that to the family of someone murdered by a stolen gun. It is one positive step to call attention to, and to help reduce the slaughter (over 140 deaths a day) caused by the ongoing epidemic of gun violence in our country.

      What are you doing to help?

  3. One home these guns won’t be stolen from is mine. The stealing will stop quickly once they come into my place.

    2. Keep that gun next to you on the couch, but try not to sit on it. Sorry, Bob, but the statistics about unsecured guns in homes are against you.

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