Before 6 a.m. Saturday morning, dozens of San Diegans, with firearms in the trunk, readied to give up their guns for more festive items.
The event was hosted by the United African American Ministerial Action Council. Dozens of law enforcement agencies including the District attorney's office also joined forces for the gun buyback.
For some of the people who showed up to Saturday's buyback in Chollas View it wasn't easy to admit they even owned a firearm, including one father who said it’s the right thing to do.
"I've never used it,” he told NBC7. “I bought it because I thought that owning a gun would protect me, but that's not the case."
With the ongoing fight against gun violence it's a controversial subject down to the right to bear arms.
"I'm just turning in some rifles that my mother got from my father when he passed away,” Angela Robinson said. “They've been in the house forever and I didn't know what to do with them."
In exchange for their firearms participants get a gift card up to $200 or even the choice of a skateboard.
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"I think there's a certain limit to where you don't need to have as many arms as some people have, in order to protect yourself,"Ed Langmaid said.
Once family heirlooms to extra protection, the guns will now be entered into a database before being destroyed.
