Sacramento ‘Gas for Guns Buyback’ runs out of incentives in 45 minutes due to massive demand
Among the firearms handed in were an assault weapon and numerous components for untraceable home-made ‘ghost guns’
The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
A "no questions asked" gun amnesty in California that offered free fuel vouchers in exchange for firearms ran out of vouchers in just 45 minutes.
Police in Sacramento said that they had received 134 guns from more than 100 people in their "Gas for Guns Buyback", including an assault weapon and various illegal firearms.
Though the Saturday event was scheduled to last five hours, the officers ran out of $50 gas gift cards after just 45 minutes and had to end the buyback an hour early, according to local TV news station KTXL.
Sacramento Police billed the event as a chance to get rid of unwanted firearms with "no questions asked and no identification required", asking only that the guns were brought to them unloaded and safely stored inside their cars.
Some people also gave in components for so-called "ghost guns", meaning home-assembled firearms that cannot be traced by authorities because they have no serial numbers, which have been blamed for numerous shootings in the Golden State.
"Among other reasons, community members most commonly cited a lack of experience or knowledge with firearms, lack of knowledge of the legality of the firearms, or an inability to safely store the firearms as the main reasons for participating in the exchange," the Sacramento Police Department said.
Police chief Kathy Lester added: "We will continue to use innovative ideas to increase the safety of our community. I truly believe violent crime prevention is a shared responsibility and today's overwhelming community participation is evidence of the success we can achieve together."
The average price of gasoline in California hit $6 a gallon last week as US sanctions on Russia for invading Ukraine continued to ripple out through global oil and gas markets.
The average gas price across the US on Sunday was was $4.59, the highest on record according to the American Automobile Association (AAA), with California the most expensive state.