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MIAMI -- A gun buyback event in Opa-locka, Florida Saturday set a new record in the wake of the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
Officials exchanged more than 100 weapons for cash, no questions asked. It was nearly double the number of firearms turned in last December, reports NBC6, and the highest turnout in the program's 5-year history.
According to Local10, only 58 guns were turned in at a buyback event in June.
Resident Karen Petersen said the Sandy Hook shooting prompted her to turn in her guns.
"Especially with what happened last week, we really wanted to get the guns out of the house," she told WSVN. "So this was an excellent way to get rid of them."
The program, run by Opa-locka Police and the Florida Highway Patrol and sponsored by local churches, aims to curb the city's gun violence by removing weapons from circulation. Officers asked no questions about any of the guns turned in, only handing over up to $50 per handgun and $100 per rifle.
Six of the weapons collected had been stolen, according to Local 10. And at one point, officials even ran out money and had to temporarily halt collections until more cash could be obtained.
"People have a renewed awareness of the damages that guns can cause in the wrong hands, and many of us know there are guns in our household that we should not have there," said Opa-lock assistant manager David Chiverton.