SAN ANTONIO — A local city council member is organizing a voluntary weapons exchange event in November.
District 9 City Council Representative John Courage is spearheading the event along with the San Antonio Area Foundation and the P.E.A.C.E. He said the event will allow anyone in San Antonio with a gun to safely exchange the firearm for a gift card.
"While you can always stop by a police substation to surrender any weapon at any time, we recognize the barriers for some people to do that," Courage said. "We want to do it in a way that is a safe choice for those people."
The event will be held November 19 in the parking lot of the Alamodome from 12 to 5 p.m. People can drive up with the unloaded weapon in their trunk. Courage said they will be asked only two questions: how many weapons they have and whether they are secure. He said staff members at the event will not ask any further questions about how the weapons were obtained.
Courage said he hopes the event can help stem the recent surge in gun violence in the Alamo City.
"In the years I have been on city council, many people have come up to me and said, 'This has got to stop, we need to do something and take some kind of action,' and that is what we are going to be doing at this time," Courage said.
He also mentioned this month is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and many gun violence victims are also victims of domestic violence.
The gift cards will for be H-E-B. Below is the amount of gift card based on the type of weapon:
- Non-functioning/Home-manufactured: $50
- Rifle/Shotgun: $150
- Handgun: $200
- Semi-automatic rifle: $300
Anyone who wants to contribute to the fund to purchase the gift cards can make a tax-deductible donation to the San Antonio Area Foundation.