“Support Ukraine and take guns off the street” Miami holds gun buyback

Earlier in the week, District 2 Commissioner, Ken Russell announced the program with a tweet describing the buyback event to “support Ukraine and take guns off the streets.”

As gates opened on this warm Saturday morning, three cars lined up. One of the first donations was delivered in a blue plastic bag and appeared to be a hand-made weapon of pipe and tape.

The “no questions asked” aspect of the event is meant to encourage getting weapons off the streets, according to Commissioner Russell. “No guns will be sent to Ukraine that are not appropriate or not wanted or not useful in their efforts against defending against Russia,” says Russell. He has partnered with the State Department and an exporter to be able to ship the approved firearms to the Ukraine.

The buyback program has its skeptics among gun enthusiasts in Florida. Leadership at Florida Carry Inc, a non-profit organization that promotes gun rights, believe the practice is deceptive.

“I think it’s a bait and switch. What the Miami Police Department is not telling people is they have four options that they can do with firearms that are turned in,” said Florida Carry board member, Kevin Sona, “they can keep them, they can destroy them, they can lend them to another department or they can sell them and any sales, the funds from those sales have to go back into the Florida school funding.”