New Orleans, USA:
The day before the deadly pickup truck attack, New Orleans residents joined a city-backed gun buy-back drive aimed at improving public safety as Louisiana loosens gun ownership laws. The event, hosted by a local nonprofit, saw dozens of people trade their guns for gaming consoles, no questions asked as long as the guns worked.
Over a two-hour period on Tuesday, city police officers received and dismantled 32 revolvers, shotguns and semi-automatic guns, all of which were traded in exchange for gaming consoles such as the PlayStation 5, the Associated Press reported. That’s what it means.
Among the participants was Letitia Clanton, 50, who chose to trade her weapon for a PlayStation 5 worth about $500. Clanton, who had a permit to carry a concealed handgun that he has owned for the past 10 years, also has eight young grandchildren running around the house.
“With so many grandchildren and all the violence they’ve caused, it’s time to take this problem off the streets,” Clanton said.
What about PlayStation? “I plan on sharing it with everyone when I get home,” she said.
“Game for guns”
In the past six months, the city has reportedly recovered 94 guns through three similar buyback programs. A local nonprofit called Unchained Realities organizes these meet-ups as part of its Nola Grown gaming program, which engages the city’s youth in gaming.
The nonprofit organization has established two centers for young people to gain skills and enter the gaming world, either as competitive players or through game development, graphic design and coding, the Associated Press reports. A third center is reportedly under construction.
“Once my inbox was full of people wanting to do this, I felt like I had to go out and raise more money,” said JD Carrere, co-director of the games program.
Louisiana Gun Ownership Laws
The buybacks came in response to Louisiana’s loosening of gun ownership restrictions and tougher penalties for violent crimes.
New Orleans has historically had one of the highest murder rates in America. But New Orleans police say homicides and nonfatal shootings have dropped significantly over the past two years.
Over the years, Louisiana has tightened its laws against violent crimes. Shortly after taking office in 2024, Republican Gov. Jeff Landry promoted tough-on-crime policies and enacted legislation to curb crime in the Republican-majority state.
Among the laws passed is one that would require 17-year-olds to be prosecuted as adults. Another law requires people convicted of crimes to serve 85 percent of their sentences before being released.
However, at the same time, restrictions on gun ownership were relaxed. A law that went into effect in August allows most people over the age of 18 to carry concealed weapons without a government permit.
Truck attack in New Orleans
Jabber, a U.S. Army veteran, bypassed a makeshift fence and opened fire on revelers in New Orleans’ crowded French Quarter on New Year’s Day, killing at least 15 people and injuring dozens more. Police said three improvised pipe bombs, including one in Jabbar’s truck, were found near the tourist hotspot of the French Quarter, and that the 42-year-old Jabbar had enlisted the help of others to carry out the attack. He said that he may have obtained.
The attack occurred around 3:15 a.m. near the intersection of Canal Street and Bourbon Street. Crowds were celebrating the New Year on Bourbon Street, a historic tourist destination known for its music and bars. The suspect drove a white Ford F-150 electric pickup truck into a group of pedestrians, then got out and engaged in a shootout with police, killing them and injuring two of them.
