New York, New York – New York City Mayor Eric Adams, NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch, and community leaders gathered today to celebrate the destruction of 3,575 seized illegal firearms. These included 3,375 handguns and 200 rifles, marking another major step in the city’s efforts to combat gun violence. The firearms were destroyed at an evidence destruction facility in Westbury, New York.

“Today, we say goodbye and good riddance to thousands of illegal guns that no longer threaten the safety of our neighborhoods,” said Mayor Adams. “These guns will never be used again to endanger another child, terrify another New Yorker, or destroy another life.”

Since the beginning of the Adams administration, over 21,400 illegal firearms have been seized. This effort has contributed to historic declines in gun violence, with homicides and shootings down by more than 40 percent over the past three years.

“These 3,575 illegal guns were in the hands of people who never should’ve had them,” said Commissioner Tisch. “Every one of these guns represents a violent act that was prevented because the NYPD got there first.”

The firearms will be repurposed by students at the School of Cooperative Technical Education in New York City, where they will create a memorial to honor victims of gun violence.

In addition to removing dangerous weapons from the streets, the Adams administration has focused on upstream solutions to address the root causes of gun violence. The city has seen significant reductions in gun violence, including a 45 percent decrease in shootings in Manhattan and nearly 20 percent in Staten Island in 2024.

“Removing illegal guns off our streets is vital to ensuring lasting public safety,” said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. “We will continue to take an aggressive and holistic approach to combatting gun violence.”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download