© Ryan Sun, Deseret News Steve Ritchey (right) and Bruce Travis (left) prepare to dispose of their guns during a gun stripping event at Christ United Methodist Church in Salt Lake City on June 10, 2023.As Jill Koeven watched Mark Gilfillan cut off her daughter's gun, she felt a sense of relief.
"The crisis was averted," Koeven of Salt Lake City said. "Seems like it's over now. It's over."
Two years ago, Koewen's daughter bought the gun and drove to the Nevada desert to kill herself. After changing her mind, she returned the gun to Coven, who hid it in his house for two years.
Koeven didn't want to sell the gun to a pawn shop and couldn't think of any other way to get rid of it. Until she finds out that the Utah Gun Violence Prevention Center is hosting a "Guns for Gardens" event to turn unwanted firearms into garden tools.
The Prevention Center has partnered with Presbyterian Peace Fellowship to host the annual Saturday morning event at more than 30 locations across the country. The Utah Chapter established a main route at the United Methodist Church of Christ, 2375 E. 3300 South, Salt Lake City. Owners of unwanted weapons could walk across the parking lot, sign a waiver, and return their unwanted weapons.
If they wanted to, they could watch members of the Utah Center to Prevent Gun Violence dismantle their guns. First they checked that there was no ammunition in the weapon. Then they cut out the trigger mechanism.
© Ryan Sun, Deseret News Mark Gilfillan uses a chainsaw to cut a gun during a gun disarmament event Saturday at Christ United Methodist Church in Salt Lake City.According to the CDC, a person is killed with a firearm in Utah approximately every 21 hours. Everytown for Gun Safety reports that 84% of all firearm deaths in the state are suicides and firearms are the second leading cause of death among children and adolescents in Utah.
The Guns to Gardens event on Saturday morning comes hours after a 16-year-old was injured in a shooting in Salt Lake City on Friday night. Police believe the teen was one of the shooters.
Among other things, an Ogden man was fatally shot Tuesday after police fired a gun on him. A Hyrum man killed his wife and then himself in an apparent murder-suicide Wednesday, police said; Their bodies were found by their 16-year-old daughter. And Salt Lake police said they would increase patrols this week after deadly gun violence last weekend.
Saturday's weapons-to-tools conversion offered some hope.
Koeven said his daughter is better now. But Koeven said "I can't express enough gratitude for getting rid of that gun."
Koewen's brother was killed in a 1990 drive-by shooting at an Indiana shelter. He was only 23 years old. He noted that many families face gun violence and mental health issues, but lack the resources to deal with them.
"I'm grateful for events like this," Guns to Gardens' Koeven said. "I don't think guns are particularly bad, but when they're bad, they're terrible."
© Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret NewsThe Utah Gun Violence Prevention Center works with Raw Tools, a Colorado company that turns guns into garden tools. They then sell these tools and use the proceeds from the training and resources to help survivors of gun violence.
Raw Tools first came to Utah in 2019 for a show where survivors of gun violence can help turn their guns into tools. Terry Gilfillan, executive director of the Center for Prevention, described the 2019 event as a "cathartic" experience.
“We think it's a way for people to feel like they can do something about gun violence,” Gilfillan said. "It's a positive way to respond to gun violence."
Gilfillan said the Guns to Gardens event was inspired by the lack of opportunities for people to dispose of their unwanted guns and the Biblical phrase "swords become plowshares" in the book of Isaiah.
© Ryan Sun, Deseret News Bruce Travis disarms a gun during an event Saturday at Christ United Methodist Church in Salt Lake City.He said Utah needs more effective gun laws, including required background checks, better training and stricter regulations for the safe storage of firearms.
“These mass shootings across the country are just heartbreaking,” Gilfillan said. "I don't see an end in sight until our lawmakers truly decide that the lives of our children and our neighbors are more important than a person's right to bear arms."
Gilfillan a précisé qu'il n'était pas contre la possession d'armes à feu, mais seulement contre la possession irresponsible d'armes à feu, et pense qu'une réglementation plus stricte en matière de sécurité des armes à feu améliorera la sécurité of all.
The Utah Gun Violence Prevention Center also offers personalized services for people who want to get rid of their guns. Locals are encouraged to contact them on their website or social media for more information.
© Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News