Want to get rid of a gun? Brooklyn DA offering up to $500 at Bed-Stuy buyback

The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office is hosting a gun buyback event this weekend in Bedford-Stuyvesant, offering up to $500 for operable firearms as part of ongoing efforts to reduce gun violence.

The event, held in partnership with the NYPD, is scheduled for Saturday, April 5, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Cornerstone Baptist Church, 574 Madison St. Participants can turn in working guns and assault rifles in exchange for a $500 bank card.

Other firearms, including ghost guns, shotguns, and air guns, will also be accepted for lesser amounts. No identification is required, and all transactions will be anonymous, according to the DA’s office.

“Brooklyn made historic progress in reducing gun violence last year, with shootings at their lowest level on record and homicides significantly down,” District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said. “Our gun buyback events have played a meaningful role, with more than 500 firearms turned in over the past few years. This Saturday, every New Yorker has an opportunity to safely turn in a gun, reduce the risk of harm, earn some money, and help make our neighborhoods safer.”

The DA noted that firearms must be unloaded and brought in a paper or plastic bag or box to participate in the buyback. Those transported by car must be stored in the trunk. Law enforcement officers and licensed gun dealers are not eligible to participate.

Participants can receive a $200 bank card for each ghost gun or 3D-printed firearm, with a maximum of two per person. A $75 bank card will also be given for each rifle or shotgun, while air guns, imitation pistols, and non-operable firearms will be eligible for a $25 bank card. Each person can turn in up to three firearms in total.

Cornerstone Baptist Church Pastor Lawrence E. Aker III reaffirmed the church’s commitment to public safety. “We will continue to collaborate to create a safe community and improve the quality of life for all of Brooklyn,” he said in a statement.

The buyback event comes as citywide shootings have reached record-low levels in early 2025. According to the NYPD, there were 140 shooting incidents in the first quarter of the year, a 23.1% decrease from the 182 reported during the same period in 2024.

Despite the overall decline, Brooklyn North patrol saw a surge in violent crime last month, with homicides up 40% and shootings rising 16%, according to police data. In the 79th Precinct, which covers where Saturday’s event takes place, shooting incidents are down by 25% compared to last year.

In a statement, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch credited programs like the buyback initiative for helping reduce gun violence. “Each gun removed is a life potentially saved, a tragedy averted — and a step toward safer communities,” she said, noting that police have recovered more than 1,300 illegal firearms so far this year and more than 21,000 over the past three years.

However, youth involvement in gun violence remains a major concern, NYPD Chief of Crime Control Strategies Michael LiPetri said at an April 3 press conference. He reported that the number of youths injured by gunfire in the first quarter of 2025 was up 133% compared to 2018, while the number of young perpetrators involved in shootings increased by 112%. Arrests of minors for firearm possession also rose by 94%, he said.