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HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — The Harris County District Attorney's Office has partnered with faith and community leaders to give away gun safes for residents.
This is part of a gun-safety campaign that was created to help reduce the amount of gun violence across the county.
At least 1,000 gun safes have been purchased and will be distributed at various monthly meetings held by the Houston Police Department, according to the DA's office. These gun safes will be given away on a first-come, first-served bases. Gun locks and safety information are also dispersed at these meetings.
Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported firearms being the leading cause of death for children under 18 in 2022. She also gave another startling statistic -- 63 people in Harris County were murdered in Harris County in the first 45 days of 2023, mainly by gun violence.
"Younger and younger children with access to weapons are bringing them to school, and just yesterday the district attorney's office charged someone for leaving his gun unsecured in a public place, park where a 3-year-old retrieved it and shot himself in the hand," Ogg said.
In Harris County, guns are being stolen out of vehicles at an alarming rate, Ogg said.
"Let's not make it easy for the criminals," Ogg said. "Let's store guns safely in Harris County. Lock up your weapons, everyone."
In addition to enhancing gun safety across Harris County, the City of Houston is hosting another gun buyback event this Saturday.
The event will be held at Alexander Deussen Park, located at 12303 Sonnier, from 8 a.m. to noon.
A non-functioning firearm will get you a $50 gift card, rifles and shotguns will get you a $100 gift card, handguns are worth a $150 gift card and turning in a semi-automatic rifle will get you $200.
Mark your ? Houston?️‼️ We're hosting our 3rd Gun Buyback event in 2⃣days at Alexander Deussen Park from 8 am-noon. ?12303 Sonnier ? Saturday, February 18, 2023 No 3D-printed guns will be accepted ‼️ pic.twitter.com/WkzheqNxbb
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