Attorney General James Announces 134 Guns Turned in at Kingston Gun Buyback

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE     
May 18, 2024

Attorney General’s Press Office/212-416-8060 nyag.pressoffice@ag.ny.gov

Attorney General James Announces 134 Guns Turned in at Kingston Gun Buyback

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced that 134 firearms were turned in at a community gun buyback event in Kingston hosted by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) and the City of Kingston Police Department. This event was part of Attorney General James’ ongoing effort to combat gun violence and keep New Yorkers safe. In addition to the guns turned in at the Kingston event, Attorney General James secured an additional 75 firearms from a community gun buyback event in Watervliet, bringing the total number of guns secured today to 209. To date, Attorney General James has removed more than 7,200 guns from New York state since taking office in 2019.

“Every firearm removed from someone’s home and from our communities is a potential crisis averted and a tragedy avoided,” said Attorney General James. “Gun buyback events, organized by my office and our partners in local law enforcement, are great ways to ensure firearms do not end up in the wrong hands. I thank the City of Kingston’s Police Department and everyone who worked with my office to help safeguard our communities and protect New Yorkers from the scourge of gun violence.”

Table with a dozen assault riffles laying on it
table with a few dozen handguns

Today’s buyback event in Kingston resulted in 134 guns being turned in, including 24 assault weapons, 76 handguns, and 18 long guns. Following today’s gun buyback events held in Kingston and Watervliet, Attorney General James has helped remove more than 7,200 guns out of New York communities.

"Gun buyback events create a trusted space for people to responsibly remove their unwanted guns from circulation, ultimately helping to prevent gun violence,” said Senator Michelle Hinchey. “I'm grateful to Attorney General Letitia James and the City of Kingston Police Department for bringing this event to Kingston. We will continue to use every tool in our toolbox to make Kingston and New York a safer place for everyone.”

"Gun buyback events such as these are a great way to work with local constituents while respecting New Yorkers' second amendment rights,” said Assemblymember Brian Maher. “I will continue to support and work with local law enforcement, the Attorney General's office, and anyone who would be willing to partner on these types of events."

"Gun buyback events are a smart way to reduce the stock of unnecessary guns and a cost-effective way to save lives,” said Assemblymember Sarahana Shrestha. “From January to April of this year, shooting incidents where people have gotten hurt have decreased 37% compared to the five-year average for the same time period. Events like today's are a big part of that." 

“The State Police is proud to partner with the New York State Attorney General's Office and the Kingston Police Department on this initiative, with the shared goal of preventing senseless gun-involved tragedies and improving safety in our local communities,” said New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James. “Gun buyback programs can prevent firearms from falling into the wrong hands, and are a complement to our overall strategy to reduce gun violence.”

“Gun violence is a nationwide epidemic, one which has claimed far too many victims in Ulster County,” said Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger. “We must take a multifaceted approach to this crisis, and every illegal, unwanted, or improperly secured firearm that we can remove from our community contributes to our safety. Thank you to Attorney General James and her staff, along with the Sheriff’s Office, Kingston Police Department, and New York State Police, for hosting this important event.”

“We are pleased with the collection from this year’s gun buyback program, as we know that removing any firearm from the community has the potential to save lives,” said Kingston Mayor Steve Noble. “I thank the Attorney General’s Office for their ongoing investment in the safety of Kingston, and the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office and the Kingston Police Department for their continued efforts to end gun violence in our community. Ensuring the safety of our residents is my top priority, but it takes support at every level. I am proud to report that we are seeing the results of our joint efforts with a decrease in crime in Kingston.” 

“We are thankful for the work being done by the Attorney General’s Office in reducing the possibility of having unwanted guns fall into the wrong hands. Communities like Kingston benefit from the collective efforts of state, county, and local agencies in reducing gun violence,” said Kingston Police Chief Egidio Tinti. "We are fortunate to have a great working relationship with them and the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office.”