A truckload of illegal and confiscated guns was demonstrated and destroyed in Los Angeles on Thursday at the 25th Annual Gun Destruction Event.
The Los Angles Sherrif’s Department, partnered with Gerdau Steel Mill, melted over 3,500 firearms into three 64-foot-high angel statues that will be placed in Los Angeles, New York, and the Bay Area.
These guns were collected from criminal investigations, probation seizures, and gun buyback events throughout the year.
The gun-melt event was initiated according to the California Penal code, which requires firearms that can’t be sold or returned to their owners be destroyed. There were nearly 5,000 weapons destroyed at last year’s event. In 2016 and 2015, there were over 10,000 firearms melted in Los Angeles County.
