Los Angeles gun buyback program gets 2,037 guns in exchange for gift cards

LAPD's latest gun buyback netted 2,037 firearms, hundreds more than a similar event earlier this year.

In total, 901 handguns, 698 rifles, 363 shotguns and 75 assault weapons were collected Wednesday from locations in South Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley. Since 2009, the program has collected 9,979 weapons.

"For too long, dangerous weapons have contributed to countless unnecessary tragedies and deaths," Mayor Villaraigosa said in a statement. "This Citywide Gun Buyback effort takes dangerous weapons off our streets and rewards Angelenos who voluntarily surrender their firearms, making our communities safer for us all."

Participants were given a Ralph's pre-paid gift card. The gift amount was determined by the type of gun turned in. Assault weapons got up to $200, with up to $100 for handguns, rifles, and shotguns.

The gun buyback had been planned for May, but was held earlier in response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings in Newtown, Conn.