Jamaica church to host gun buyback this weekend

NEW YORK (WABC) -- There is a gun buyback program set for this weekend in Queens.

Anyone who hands in a legal or illegal gun on Saturday will receive a $200 gift card.

The guns will be accepted at the New Jerusalem Baptist Church in Jamaica.

Local officials hope the buyback will get weapons off the street and help stem the rising violence in the borough.

Similar buyback programs have recovered nearly 7,700 guns, but the fresh supply seems never-ending. Just last week, NYPD Sergeant Craig Bier was shot in both legs in the area.

The gun used to Bier was from Virginia, the number one source of guns used in New York City crimes.

The hunt is still on for the suspected gunman, 24-year-old John Thomas, of Queens. He's been spotted in Pennsylvania, Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia, and there's now a $32,000 reward for his capture.

Police say it's just a matter of time.

"You're hiding, but we're going to get you," a police official said. "The question is how?"

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