LA Gun Buyback Yields ... Rocket Launchers?!

Los Angeles officials declared victory this week, after their gun buyback program managed to pull in 2,037 guns, including 75 assault weapons and two anti-tank rocket launchers, the LA Times reports. Yes, you read that correctly. Residents turned in the weapons for grocery store gift cards, no questions asked.

"Those are weapons of war, weapons of death," LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said of the rockets and assault weapons. "These are not hunting guns." Response to the drive was so unexpectedly strong that the city ran out of gift cards, and had to rely on a private donation through the city controller to keep things going. In 166 cases, owners turned in their guns for nothing. (More Los Angeles stories.)