Man helps raise $100k for gun buyback

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (WTNH) -- In the wake of the Tragedy at Sandy Hook, a man in Bridgeport says he felt the need to make a difference.

"The news from Newtown was so devastating and heartbreaking that it required a call to action, and I thought, the best way we could heal our hearts in some degree was to act," said Joe Luciano.

Bridgeport resident Joe Luciano called Mayor Bill Finch and said he wanted to help fund a gun buyback. In just one week, they have raised more than $100,000.

Donations have poured in from private citizens, local businesses, and organizations.

"Gun buyback programs have taken place before," said Vincent Santinelli. "The funds have been exhausted, so now, more than ever, it's time to really step up."

"It's wonderful. It's um, it's that form of citizenship that I think, in the wake of what happened in Newtown, we can all embrace and carry forward," Luciano said.

The buyback is scheduled for this Saturday, December 22nd.

Guns should be brought to the Bridgeport Police Dept. of Community Services Division.

Guns must be unloaded, placed in a plastic bag, and then put in a separate container. Ammunition should be placed in a separate bag, and guns must be in working condition.

Rifles will be worth $75. Handguns can receive up to $200. Assault-type rifles are eligible for even higher amounts.

The goal of the buyback is to reduce violence and save lives.

Fourteen-year-old Justin Thompson was one of Bridgeport's first shooting victims of 2012. He was shot and killed back on January 1st. Since then police say that overall shootings are down, but the homicide rate is up.

There have been 61 non-fatal shootings in 2012, compared to 69 in 2011. So far there have been 21 homicides this year. That's up from 18 at this time last year.

"Our children and the streets of Bridgeport should not be subject to the kind of violence that erupt by these weapons," Mayor Finch said. "Our police face these weapons each and every day and it's time that it stops."