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Tucson Shootings Spark Gun Buyback

Photo by Michel Marizco

A Tucson police officer inspects a rifle that was brought in by a gun owner on Tuesday during the buyback program.

Photo by Michel Marizco

Kitty Moran offered to purchase the guns from the owners herself rather than see them destroyed.

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Two years after the Tucson killings that left six people dead and suspended the career of a congresswoman, the city inaugurated a gun buyback program for citizens to turn in their weapons.

A police officer opened a small wooden box in the hands of a man in line. "Do you have this locked inside the case?" he asked as he pulled out an old semiautomatic pistol.

The man holding the gun is one of about 100 people who lined up Tuesday morning to turn in a weapon. The buyback program was initiated by a Tucson city councilman.

"Let me take a look at it and I’ll be the one checking it for you today," the officer said.

Those who participated in today's event received a gift card to Safeway. That’s the grocery store chain where the killings took place two years ago.

Like most in line today, Matthew Wenger brought an old dismantled handgun.

"They’re providing $50 gift cards for what we were told was worth about $25," he said.

This was also the day that retired Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her husband launched a political action committee, Americans for Responsible Solutions. In an