Overview

• City officials destroyed 3,575 seized firearms at a Westbury facility, emphasizing both public safety and symbolic resistance to gun violence.
• The destroyed weapons included more than 1,400 ghost guns, highlighting the growing challenge of untraceable firearms in New York City.
• Scrap metal from the guns will be donated to East Harlem students, who will create a memorial to honor victims of gun violence.
• The event occurred two days after the fatal shooting of 61-year-old Excenia Mette in Harlem, underscoring the ongoing toll of gun violence.
• Since taking office, Mayor Eric Adams's administration has seized over 21,400 illegal guns and launched initiatives to combat gun violence, including lawsuits against ghost gun manufacturers.