COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – Police in South Carolina gave away roses on Valentine’s Day. All you had to do to get one for your sweetie was turn in a gun.
Hoping to get the weapons off the streets with the “Guns for Roses” program, authorities in two central South Carolina cities set up a program where anyone who turned in a gun received a free rose and a Best Buy gift card.
At a Columbia church, five cars lined up to give away guns before the exchange had even started. At the end of the day, Columbia area police had collected 191 weapons and police in Sumter collected 32.
“We’ve got a great turnout so far,” Richland County sheriff’s spokesman Lt. Chris Cowan said.
A handgun was worth a $100 gift card, while a rifle or shotgun netted a $50 gift certificate. Cowan said one man turned in six handguns, worth $600 in gift cards.
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