Gun buyback program in Homewood quickly runs through funds

The Church of the Holy Cross Episcopal in Homewood was offering up to $100 a gun during a no-questions-asked buyback event Monday morning. Within an hour, the initial $5,000 raised for payouts was gone.

People came toting rifles over their shoulders or carrying pistols in plastic bags. The Rev. Torrey Johnson stood outside the church, informing participants that while the funds were depleted, they could still surrender the weapons, no questions asked.

Some turned away. Others shrugged and sacrificed the items anyway.

Through a partnership with the Pittsburgh police, the Episcopal Lutheran Alliance and Homewood Ministries, the church raised the initial $5,000 in about two weeks to cover the costs of the program. After that was depleted, said Rich Creehan of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh, an additional $1,000 was raised in a second appeal on Monday.

The church, located at 7507 Kelly St., accepted guns and monetary donations throughout the day. Pittsburgh police officers were on site to supervise and manage the influx of firearms.

“We’ve just been overwhelmed,” Johnson said, who plans to make the gun buyback an annual event. “We weren’t anticipating rifles and assault weapons.”

More than 145 firearms were surrendered, including 40 rifles and two AR-15s, officials said.

Kristina Serafini | Tribune-Review

Pittsburgh Police officer Ken Sowinski puts a zip tie on a gun as its owner receives money during a gun buy back event at Church of the Holy Cross in Homewood on Monday, Jan. 20, 2020.

It was held on a day honoring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., “the apostle of non-violence,” in Johnson’s words.

On Nov. 13, two people were shot and killed at the corner of Kelly and Collier streets, within view of the church. A makeshift memorial of snow-covered teddy bears and candles still stands at the site.

Cara Cruz, a Pittsburgh Public Safety spokeswoman, said police will log the weapons and trace them to learn whether they had been reported stolen. Officers will attempt to return stolen guns to their owners.

Other weapons will be destroyed, she said.

Kristy Locklin is a Tribune-Review contributing writer.