Many Americans have participated in a gun buy-back. They’re events held at police stations, churches, community centers and other locations, allowing people to turn in their weapons with the promise that they’ll be destroyed.
The buy-backs, often funded by charity, give people an incentive to get rid of guns that could result in accidents, suicides or crimes, and make sure they don’t end up back on the streets.
But reporting by the New York Times’ Mike McIntire reveals that that’s not always what happens. Instead, companies promising free gun destruction are using a legal loophole to destroy only a small part of each gun and sell the other parts online, often resulting in guns going right back into the community.
McIntire joins host Robin Young to talk about how it happens and whether there’s a solution
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
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