Natick police collected 57 firearms at a gun buyback event Oct. 11, including 36 handguns, six shotguns, three rifles and 12 other weapons such as BB guns and starter pistols.
The event at Hartford Street Presbyterian Church exchanged gift cards for firearms as part of an effort to remove unwanted weapons from homes. Residents were encouraged to drive to the church with unloaded firearms in their trunks, where Natick police and the Middlesex County Sheriff’s Office workers collected, recorded and disassembled the weapons.
“A family member died. These guns were in the attic. They’re in the basement. Family has no interest in them. (People are) looking for a safe process in which to get rid of these guns,” said Lt. Christopher Foley of the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office. “It’s going to keep them out of the hands of children, the mentally ill (and) potentially criminals.”…