FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, July 20, 2026
Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez, Together With the NYPD, Attorney General James and State Comptroller DiNapoli Collected 191 Guns in Buyback Event
Participants received up to $500 per Firearm; Hosted in a Clinton Hill Church
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, together with New York City Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch, Attorney General Letitia James and State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, today announced that a total of 191 firearms were turned in during a Gun Buyback event that was held at Emmanuel Baptist Church on Saturday. The impressive haul included 158 revolvers and semi-automatic pistols as well as nine assault rifles.
District Attorney Gonzalez said, “I sleep better at night after events like this, knowing that close to 200 weapons are no longer in homes and potentially on our streets. Every gun we collected is one fewer weapon that now cannot be used to commit crimes, in suicides or picked up by a child. I thank Emmanuel Baptist Church, all our partners and every New Yorker who came out despite torrential rains to make our city safer. As Brooklyn continues to experience a historically safe year and summer in terms of gun violence, we are committed to keep reducing the proliferation of guns, engage our communities and further improve public safety.”
Commissioner Tisch said, “Every gun recovered is a potential tragedy avoided and life saved. Thanks to the NYPD’s precision policing strategy, and the men and women in uniform who do this dangerous work, we have removed over 2,700 guns from our streets so far this year and driven down gun violence and murders to record lows. We will continue to invest in these important programs with our law enforcement partners to make our communities safer.”
Attorney General James said, “Every gun removed from our communities is a potential life saved and crisis averted. This gun buyback event resulted in the removal of 191 unwanted guns from our streets, marking a critical step in our fight to protect our communities from gun violence. I thank my friends District Attorney Gonzalez, NYPD Commissioner Tisch, and Comptroller DiNapoli for their commitment to protecting New Yorkers from the scourge of gun violence.”
State Comptroller DiNapoli said, “Gun violence costs our communities and New Yorkers. Getting guns out of homes and off our streets is a critical part of prevention and saving lives. Thanks to District Attorney Gonzalez, Attorney General James and the NYPD we bought back and destroyed 191 guns. A win for Brooklyn and New York.”
Dr. Shareka N. Newton, Senior Pastor-Elect of Emmanuel Baptist Church, said, “I am from Brooklyn, and I know firsthand the difference a safe, caring community can make in the life of a young person. I was able to grow, dream, and become who I am because people in this community helped protect and nurture me. Hosting this Gun Buyback was one small but meaningful way Emmanuel Baptist Church can help provide that same opportunity for another child and another family.”
Participants at the event received $500 for each operable gun or assault rifle turned in (maximum three per person), $200 for ghost guns or 3D printed guns (maximum of two per person), $75 for each rifle or shotgun and $25 for each air gun, imitation pistol or a non-operable firearm. The first 60 people also received a $100 retail store gift card.
The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office and the NYPD host gun buybacks in different neighborhoods a couple of times each year. Over the past four years, over 1,000 firearms have been collected at the events. Saturday had the second highest number of turned-in weapons over that period.
The event was held as Brooklyn is experiencing its safest year in modern history, building on record-lows set in 2025, when homicides, shooting incidents and shooting victims fell to their lowest levels since recordkeeping began. So far in 2026, those categories are down an additional 33%, 18% and 10%, respectively.
The District Attorney thanked Emmanuel Baptist Church, Police Commissioner Tisch, Attorney General James and State Comptroller DiNapoli for their partnership.
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