'No questions asked': Fayetteville hosting gun buyback event this weekend

Weeks after Raleigh and Durham's popular gun buyback events, the City of Fayetteville is holding its own.

Posted 3:23 p.m. Sep 15, 2022 — Updated 3:23 p.m. Sep 15, 2022

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Weeks after Raleigh and Durham's popular gun buyback events, the City of Fayetteville is holding its own.

The Fayetteville Police Department said it will accept unwanted firearms with "no questions asked" on Saturday, Sept. 17, between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. at Kingdom Impact Global Ministries at 2503 Murchison Road.

People dropping off weapons will not have to identify themselves in any way.

Fayetteville will pay people $100 for surrendered handguns, $150 for rifles and shotguns and $200 for assault weapons. A maximum of $600 will be paid per person.

People dropping off weapons must do the following:

Place the unloaded gun inside your trunk, truck bed, cargo area or in your backseat or floorboard before leaving home. Gun must be brought to the site unloaded.
Approach the church by way of Murchison Road.
Officers will direct you to the designated area.
Remain in your vehicle at all times. An officer will remove the gun. (If you cannot remotely open the trunk or rear hatch from the driver's seat, you will hand the officer the key.)
After the gun is determined to be a working firearm, compensation will be provided.
Do not touch any weapons.

The gun buyback program was created to proactively remove guns from streets. In Fayetteville, the program is funded by the police department's forfeiture fund, or money recovered from illegal drug activity.

Once received by police, weapons will be stored and handled per state law and checked to make sure they are not connected to criminal activity or reported stolen. Stolen guns will be returned to rightful owners when possible.

A press release about the event stated, "This community has been impacted by an increase in gun violence. Taking guns off the street is at the heart of violence prevention and we must do everything we can to put an end to the senseless violence. Every gun turned into the program is a life potentially saved."

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