District Attorney To Hold Gun Buyback In Harlem

HARLEM, NY — People in Harlem will have a chance to get guns out of their hands, and off the streets, while making some cash this weekend.

The Manhattan District Attorney's office will hold a firearm buyback event at Salem United Methodist Church on Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard on Saturday afternoon to mark the end of Gun Violence Awareness Month, a spokesperson for the office said.

Anyone who turns in a gun will be paid up to $200 in pre-paid gift cards and participation is anonymous, the DA's office said. The event will be held from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday. All guns brought to the buyback event must be handed in unloaded, according to a flyer printed by the DA's office. People can bring in as many guns as they want, but there's a maximum payout of $600.

The buyback is one of two events the DA's office will be hosting in Harlem. The other event, called the Art of Healing Festival, will be held Saturday from 12-4 p.m. at P.S. 7 M. Samuel Stern School on East 120th Street between Lexington and Third avenues. The event will feature free food and music, spoken word, painting, and design activities that any community member can participate in, according to the DA's office.

The Art of Healing event will also feature speakers such as Aalayah Eastmond — Marjory Stoneman Douglass High School student who survived the Feb. 14 Parkland, Florida shooting — and the Distric Attorney's gun control advocacy fellows.

This weekend's Art of Healing event will be the first hosted by the DA's office and is supported by City Councilwoman Diana Ayala.

Photo courtesy NYPD