Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
How 2 Rocket Launchers Ended Up At L.A.'s Gun Buyback
At Los Angeles' gun buyback program this week, there were 2 rocket launchers among the 2,037 weapons turned in for gift cards at the annual event.
The police department agrees to buy weapons without asking any questions about where they came from, but police were able to get a little bit of information, according to the Los Angeles Times. The people who offered up the rocket launchers said they had family members that used to be in the military. But they decided that they time had come that "they no longer wanted the launchers in their homes."
Military experts who took a look at the weapons for the Times corroborated part of their story: they appear to be antitank weapons from the military. One of the weapons looks like an AT4, an unguided antitank weapon that fires a single shot. If it makes you feel any better, Det. Gus Villanueva told the Times that the rocket launchers didn't have the technical parts it needed to actually discharge a projectile. Neither had rockets with them either.
Some questions will be asked about these weapons: police are going to look into whether the U.S. military reported them stolen.
Support for LAist comes from
It's not unusual for something, well, unusual to turn up at gun buyback programs. In 2010, someone turned in a grenade. Officials told the LA Weekly that rocket launchers had been turned in before. (And in Brooklyn, a "wallet gun" got turned in at a buyback event.)
Beck said that even though the rocket launchers didn't pose a danger, he was glad to have them off the street: "Those are weapons of war, weapons of death. These are not hunting guns. These are not target guns. These are made to put high-velocity, extremely deadly, long-range rounds down-range as quickly as possible, and they have no place in our great city."
This event buyback was largely considered a success and the city bought more weapons than it expected. However, it's worth noting that while 2,000 guns sounds like a lot of guns (because it is), it's not a whole lot compared to the estimated 1 million firearms in the city. There's no way to actually tell how many guns there are in the country overall, but for the first 11 months of 2012 there were 16.8 million applications to purchase a gun and that might not have included applications for Christmas presents.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The union representing the restaurant's workers announced Tuesday that The Pantry will welcome back patrons Thursday after suddenly shutting down six months ago. -
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake.
-
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
-
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars.
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
Best of LAist