The D.C. Area Interfaith Gun Violence Prevention Network (Interfaith GVP Network), in partnership with the Montgomery County Sheriff and the Office of the State’s Attorney, will host a gun buyback event from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday, April 20 in the parking lot of the United Church of Christ of Seneca Valley in Germantown. Community members will be able anonymously and voluntarily turn in their firearms and receive a food store gift card in return.
The United Church of Christ of Seneca Valley is located at 13421 Clopper Road in Germantown. The event will be held rain or shine.
This will be the first faith-based, “up-county” gun buyback in a section of Montgomery County, which in recent years has seen an uptick in gun violence. The buyback follows successful gun buybacks held since summer 2023 in Baltimore, Rockville and Upper Marlboro.
Community members will be able anonymously and voluntarily to turn in their firearms and receive a $100 food store gift card for functioning handguns, rifles and shotguns and a $200 food store gift card for functioning military assault-style weapons and privately manufactured firearms (“ghost guns”). All firearms will be accepted with no identification requested and a no-questions-asked policy by law enforcement. The Sheriff’s Office will inspect all firearms prior to the Interfaith GVP Network deciding the eligibility for gift cards and providing gun safety information.
The Interfaith GVP Network is seeking financial support from businesses, members of the Interfaith GVP Network, other faith groups, foundations, County offices and the public to help fund the buyback. The network hopes to raise a minimum of $30,000, enabling it to collect at least 300 guns at an average of $100 per gun. All donations will be 100 percent tax deductible.
To donate by credit or debit card, go to https://bit.ly/gunbb. To donate by check, make it payable to “Pax Christi Metro DC-Baltimore” and specify in the check’s memo line: “Up-County Gun Buyback.” Mail checks to Pax Christi Metro DC-Baltimore, c/o Kurt Hansen, 6621 Struttmann Lane, Rockville, MD 20852.
