BLYTHEVILLE, Ark. — Can the Word of God and a crisp $100 bill help stop an outbreak of deadly shootings in Blytheville, Arkansas?
A local ministry scheduled a gun “buyback” event for Saturday to get at least 25 weapons off Blytheville’s streets.
Greater Dimensions World Outreach Ministries decided to stage the “buyback” after two recent murders .
The church said they were using a very different approach to stop the violence.
“We believe that one gun removed is one life saved. And that’s our goal: to remove guns and save lives,” said Apostle Carlos Turner, Greater Dimensions World Outreach Ministry.
But this gun “buyback” event comes with a biblical twist.
“We gonna have bibles. And inside the bibles we’re going to have a hundred-dollar bill. It’s going to be used as a bookmark. And it’d going to be marked at Exodus 20:13 that says, Thou Shalt Not Kill,” said Apostle Turner.
Apostle Turner organized the “buyback” after a violent week in Blytheville.
Monday two men were shot and killed during an eleven hour time span.
One of them was Vincent Stone, murdered while playing basketball at Williams Park.
“He was real cool and laid back. I mean he didn’t bother nobody. He always worked or played ball and went home,” said Robin Pugh, a friend of Stone’s.
Pugh and other friends of Vincent Stone, set up a memorial not far from where the man was gunned down.
Pugh said the gun “buyback” may sound like a good idea, but she didn’t think it would change anything.
“Us giving ya’ll our guns, what’s that going to stop? Not nothing. There’s still other ways we can go and take somebody’s life. I can go pick up a knife and still take somebody’s (life). Getting the guns, that’s not stopping the violence,” she said.
But Apostle Turner was willing to take the chance and promises there will be no questions asked.
“We don’t know if the gun is stolen. We don’t know if the gun was used in the last murder. We don’t know. All we are trying to do is get it off the streets,” he said.
The gun “buyback” will start at 2 p.m. Saturday near Williams Park off McHaney Street.
Blytheville Police will be there to receive the guns and make sure they’re not loaded.
We’re told the guns will ultimately be melted down.