Guns to Gardens event in Independence turns unwanted firearms into gardening tools, art
By Alan Shope
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INDEPENDENCE, Missouri (KMBC) — The Guns to Gardens event in Independence, Mo., allowed residents to safely and anonymously dispose of unwanted firearms, which were dismantled and repurposed into gardening tools and art.
“It’s an opportunity for individuals who have firearms in their homes that are unsafe or unusable or are broken,” said Reverend Jenny Wells of Central Presbyterian Church.
Cars began arriving at the event just after 1 p.m., where volunteers checked each firearm for safety before disassembling them.
“We have several firearms safety officers here who are qualified per ATF regulations to take care of these things in the way the ATF defines the destruction of firearms,” said Jeff LeBlanc of the firearms safety team.
LeBlanc clarified that the event was not about confiscating firearms but rather providing a safe option for disposal. “This is not taking guns away from anybody, but if you do want to get rid of it, this is a good place to do it safely,” he said.
This was the fourth Guns to Gardens event, during which more than 160 firearms have been recycled.
“We’ve seen all of the comments on social media posts and in other places of people who are upset that we are dismantling these firearms, but this is a different kind of event. It’s not a buyback. We are not advocating to take away people’s firearms,” Wells said.
The dismantled firearms are transformed into gardening tools and art, with organizers viewing the initiative as a way to enhance community safety.
“We see this as an opportunity to make our community a little bit safer,” Wells said.
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