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By Jim Carney
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 01:42 p.m. EST, Nov 21, 2008
The parking lot of the Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church on East Wilbeth Avenue in Akron had the look of the wild, wild west in a snowstorm this morning.
Men and women stood in line holding rifles, shotguns and pistols. They were waiting to turn in the weapons to get $100 grocery gift cards from Acme Fresh Market stores.
Officials of the Goods For Guns buyback program at the church's two Akron campuses at 270 East Wilbeth Road and 1225 Vernon Odom Boulevard said they had collected about 580 guns by 5 p.m. today and Saturday will be accepting weapons at just one location -- East Wilbeth Road.
The program will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. More than 100 gift cards were left to distribute.
The program is sponsored by Summit County Crimestoppers, the city of Akron, Summit County Sheriff Drew Alexander, Acme Fresh Market grocery stores, the Thomarios Co., Medical Mutual, the Dellagnese Co., Summit County Juvenile Court and the Oriana House.
At the start of the buyback this morning, nearly 700 grocery cards were available for people who turned in their guns, said Bill Holland, an inspector with the Summit County Sheriff's Office.
''I got here at around 9 o'clock and there were already people lined up'' outside the church, said Holland, who was overseeing the buyback at the Wilbeth Road location.
Law enforcement officers checked weapons at the door to make sure they were not loaded.
By 10 a.m., a large plastic garbage can was loaded with riffles and shotguns.
As people waited in line outside the church, Holland said, some gun collectors attempted to purchase weapons, but they were asked to leave.
Collected guns were to be destroyed.
Marlayna McKinley-Harmon and her husband, Kenneth Harmon, brought in two handguns.
She carried a purse on which the photograph of her 5-year-old grandson, Logan, was imprinted.
''I don't want him to get ahold of it if he comes over,'' she said.
She turned in a .32-caliber pistol and her husband turned in his father's .25-caliber pistol.
''It will make things safer around the house,'' she said.
Paul Raymond, 46, of Akron, who turned in his late father's .32-caliber pistol.
''There are three families in our parish that can use some food,'' he said, explaining that he decided to turn in the gun and then give one of the families the grocery card.
The Rev. Marc Neal, who has been pastor of the Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church for the past 15 years, said he thinks the program will help prevent accidental shootings that take place in homes.
''It relieves the easy access of guns being available inside the home,'' Neal said.
Last year, he said, a gun that had been under a mattress was turned in and another loaded gun was found in an Easter basket.
The goal of the program, he said, is to prevent ''as many accidental shootings as possible.''
Neal said each year there are about 4,800 accidental shootings in the United States.
''Every gun turned in,'' he said, could prevent a shooting.
Jim Carney can be reached at 330-996-3576 or jcarney@thebeaconjournal.com.
The parking lot of the Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church on East Wilbeth Avenue in Akron had the look of the wild, wild west in a snowstorm this morning.
Men and women stood in line holding rifles, shotguns and pistols. They were waiting to turn in the weapons to get $100 grocery gift cards from Acme Fresh Market stores.
Officials of the Goods For Guns buyback program at the church's two Akron campuses at 270 East Wilbeth Road and 1225 Vernon Odom Boulevard said they had collected about 580 guns by 5 p.m. today and Saturday will be accepting weapons at just one location -- East Wilbeth Road.
The program will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. More than 100 gift cards were left to distribute.
The program is sponsored by Summit County Crimestoppers, the city of Akron, Summit County Sheriff Drew Alexander, Acme Fresh Market grocery stores, the Thomarios Co., Medical Mutual, the Dellagnese Co., Summit County Juvenile Court and the Oriana House.
At the start of the buyback this morning, nearly 700 grocery cards were available for people who turned in their guns, said Bill Holland, an inspector with the Summit County Sheriff's Office.
''I got here at around 9 o'clock and there were already people lined up'' outside the church, said Holland, who was overseeing the buyback at the Wilbeth Road location.
Law enforcement officers checked weapons at the door to make sure they were not loaded.
By 10 a.m., a large plastic garbage can was loaded with riffles and shotguns.
As people waited in line outside the church, Holland said, some gun collectors attempted to purchase weapons, but they were asked to leave.
Collected guns were to be destroyed.
Marlayna McKinley-Harmon and her husband, Kenneth Harmon, brought in two handguns.
She carried a purse on which the photograph of her 5-year-old grandson, Logan, was imprinted.
''I don't want him to get ahold of it if he comes over,'' she said.
She turned in a .32-caliber pistol and her husband turned in his father's .25-caliber pistol.
''It will make things safer around the house,'' she said.
Paul Raymond, 46, of Akron, who turned in his late father's .32-caliber pistol.
''There are three families in our parish that can use some food,'' he said, explaining that he decided to turn in the gun and then give one of the families the grocery card.
The Rev. Marc Neal, who has been pastor of the Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church for the past 15 years, said he thinks the program will help prevent accidental shootings that take place in homes.
''It relieves the easy access of guns being available inside the home,'' Neal said.
Last year, he said, a gun that had been under a mattress was turned in and another loaded gun was found in an Easter basket.
The goal of the program, he said, is to prevent ''as many accidental shootings as possible.''
Neal said each year there are about 4,800 accidental shootings in the United States.
''Every gun turned in,'' he said, could prevent a shooting.
Jim Carney can be reached at 330-996-3576 or jcarney@thebeaconjournal.com.
Comments
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Norka, Oh
Posted 04:09 PM, 11/21/2008
Thats one line I wouldn't want to stand in.....
Posted 04:15 PM, 11/21/2008
What a waste of valuable firearms!!! To bad the city refuses to sell them back to the law abiding population
Posted 04:33 PM, 11/21/2008
Frankly,, anyone who would turn in their gun(s) has no business having one.
Posted 05:53 PM, 11/21/2008
it's too bad , i heard some really great collectors pieces get lost in these things because of idiots and trash who turn them in unknowingly.
akron, oh
Posted 08:23 PM, 11/21/2008
So how much did they pay for stolen guns... Oh wait they didnt ask any questions... Did they check em before they destroyed them? To see if they should be returned to the rightful owners?
Posted 10:29 PM, 11/21/2008
All these people are going to wish they still had these guns when they are a victim of home invasion. Now all the thugs know less people have protection.
Akron, Oh
Posted 04:40 AM, 11/22/2008
I think its a really god idea to get the guns turned in.
Posted 05:04 AM, 11/22/2008
how many did marco turn in?
akron, oh
Posted 05:20 AM, 11/22/2008
They were probably all stolen guns to begin with. Now they will just go out and steal more. what a dumb program. The grocery cards should go to families that are needy and law-abidiing.
WADSWORTH, OH
Posted 05:37 AM, 11/22/2008
$100.00 TRADE IN-lets see.if the people wanting to trade in a firearm for just 100 clams had used there heads,some of the firearms could have been very valuable to a gun collector/dealer-whom would of paid you roughly 3 times that amount for a model 12 shotgun-at any gun show around the area monthly!! Would you trade in an old used car for 100 clams when you may have been able to sell it for 5 or 600??? easy math.WHAT THEY DONT WANT YOU TO KNOW MAY HAVE JUST COST YOU A COUPLE HUNDRED BUCKS !
Posted 07:20 AM, 11/22/2008
What is the next "deadly weapons" turn in program to be offered for cash? Will it be knives, rope, automobiles, tire irons, clubs, baseball bats or other blunt intruments? Your right, that's one line, I won't stand in either.
m, m
Posted 01:31 PM, 11/22/2008
Our church men's ministry just gave OUT guns as prizes for a men's night out program. a different world out here in the Midwest! and, I think it is kinda odd that collector guns worth hundreds would be turned in for so little, heck, they could get a better deal at the pawn shop. oh, but then, if it came back listed as stolen.............
