On September 21, 2014, Robby Poblete was killed by gun violence in broad daylight at a busy intersection in Vallejo, Ca. He was 23 years old. At the time he was killed, Robby was working at a biotech company where he was also learning how to weld. He was on the verge of becoming a full-time employee and was already making plans to build his own weld shop.
The firearm used to end his life was obtained illegally, and then resold on the streets. One illegal gun has the potential to be used by countless people, committing countless crimes, impacting countless lives.
By turning in unwanted guns, people can prevent those firearms from being stolen and used for crime, or being accidentally used by a child in the home. Though it does not solve the problem on its own, it can play a part in overall efforts to curb gun violence. We propose an annual gun buyback program to sustain and strengthen these efforts to get unwanted and potentially dangerous guns out of circulation. Using the materials from the melted guns, we propose the implementation of two community programs that will offer hope and opportunity to the people of our communities.
