The first day of Denver and Aurora’s Gun Buyback Program led to 189 guns being taken off the street, Denver Councilwoman Amanda Sawyer said at Monday night’s council meeting.

Of the weapons collected Saturday at Empower Field at Mile High, over 100 were semi-automatic and eight were considered assault weapons, Sawyer said. While the event was anonymous, many people shared their personal stories as they brought in guns. Organizers paid $50 to $250 per gun.

“One of the women who came to donate a weapon was a woman who gave up the gun that her son had used to kill himself,” Sawyer said. “It was an extraordinary moment. It not only got a weapon off the street, but it provided her the opportunity to have some closure on something that was incredibly difficult in her life.

“That’s what harm reduction is. That’s why we’re doing this. It’s not gonna cure gun violence in our cities, but it is an incredible opportunity for us to provide our residents a safe and anonymous way to turn in weapons.”

Sawyer launched the program in collaboration with Aurora Councilman Curtis Gardner, Colorado Springs nonprofit RAWtools and the Denver Broncos. There will be seven more gun buyback events this year. For more details, visit bit.ly/3Iy0R4n.