And if you have already bought a gun as a gift for a child - there is another solution. The City Council's Anti-Crime Committee is currently exchanging toy guns for other toys. The city council is accepting all guns that resemble the real thing which will be destroyed in a symbolic and spectacular bonfire tomorrow. The Crime Committee's Norman Rodriquez says it is a win-win situation; toy guns will be off the streets and your children will get a gift in return. We also spoke to Glen Murillo who this afternoon exchanged the toy gun his son won at a bazaar.
Norman Rodriquez, Anti-Crime Committee
"We're asking people to bring in any toy gun that looks like a real gun between now and tomorrow. Tomorrow morning between 8 am to 10 am, we will be collecting all the toy guns we can which we will burn at 10:30. We exchange a toy, a real toy, for any toy gun that people can bring in."
Keith Swift,
When you say toy guns that look like real guns, what are you talking about?
Norman Rodriquez,
"The toy guns that I am talking about are those guns that people can use to commit crimes. Look at this, somebody walks up to you at 8 or nine in the night or early morning and say, 'give me what you got,' it is dark and this looks so real, definitely you won't hesitate. These are the kind of things we want to take off the street. The toys that we give won't be of similar value. We will just put together one two or three toys, which we feel will be enough to make someone happy and then we do the exchange immediately."
Glen Murillo, Parent
"My son won this at a school bazaar."
Keith Swift,
You don't think these guns should be on the streets?
Glen Murillo,
"No I don't think they should be on the streets and I feel like the City Council or the people who made the law supposed to even ban them from selling these guns, toy guns."
The City Council will be accepting guns until 10 am. They will be destroyed tomorrow.
