Fremont to host first gun buyback event since 2013

The "no questions asked" event will take place between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. January 21 at the Fremont Fire Training Center.

FREMONT — The city of Fremont will in January hold its first gun buyback event in 10 years, offering between $100 and $200 for any firearms turned into police.

The “no questions asked” event will take place between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. January 21 at the Fremont Fire Training Center on 7200 Stevenson Blvd.

Officials will offer $100 per handgun, rifle, or shotgun, and $200 per assault weapon or “ghost gun” that is turned in. Individuals can turn in guns for up to a maximum $600 credit for the day.

Fremont police said that firearms should be unloaded and transported in the trunk and that all participants are to remain inside their vehicles during the event.

The buyback will be the first hosted by Fremont police since 2013, when over 300 firearms were collected during a similar event.

“Over the past few years, communities throughout the country have been impacted by gun violence. The objective of this initiative is to reduce the number of unwanted firearms within our community,” Fremont Police Chief Sean Washington said in a statement.

“We also hope to use the event as a way to educate the public regarding responsible gun ownership and security. The goal is to proactively prevent accidental or intentional loss of life or serious injury.”

Other Bay Area cities have also been hosting gun buyback programs in recent times. Livermore police collected nearly 100 firearms during an event held in November, while officials in San Mateo County collected 288 firearms in a buyback in San Carlos in early December.