Albany Pastor holds gun buyback event

As local communities battle gun violence, an Albany church continues its push to get illegal guns off the streets.

Pastor Charlie Muller says he is focused on saving lives. He, like many people, was devastated by the recent mass shootings in Buffalo and in Texas.

He held a gun buyback event at his church Saturday.

Three assault rifles and multiple handguns were turned in at the event. Muller says they are focused on collecting illegal guns and not legal ones. Muller wants to be more proactive to prevent shootings. He has seen cases where people were arrested for having an illegal gun in their possession.

At the gun buy back event, people were given a $100 visa gift card in exchange for turning in a gun. Saturday’s event was part of the church’s mission to have a safe summer this year.

For Muller, this issue is personal. Just last year he decided to close the JC Club in Albany, which was located near First and Quail street. The building served as a feeding center for youth. There was a shooting outside the building, where bullets came through the office.