PS5 in exchange for guns: New Orleans hosted a buyback before truck rampage

New Orleans held a gun buyback event offering gaming consoles in exchange for firearms just a day before a truck attack killed 15 people, raising safety concerns

Residents of New Orleans participated in a city-supported gun buyback event just a day before a truck rammed into crowds, killing 15 people. The initiative, aimed at improving public safety amid Louisiana’s relaxed gun ownership laws, was organised by a local non-profit. Participants could exchange operational firearms for gaming devices without any questions being asked.

 

Over two hours on Tuesday, police officers collected and dismantled 32 firearms, including revolvers, shotguns, and semi-automatic weapons, in exchange for gaming consoles such as PlayStation 5 units, the Associated Press reported.

 

One participant, Leticia Clanton, a 50-year-old grandmother, traded her legally owned handgun for a PlayStation 5 valued at approximately $500.

 

‘Games for guns’ initiative

Over the past six months, New Orleans has collected 94 guns through three similar buyback events. These initiatives are led by Unchained Realities, a non-profit organisation operating the Nola Grown gaming program to engage local youth through gaming.

 

According to the report, the organisation has established two centres where young people can learn skills in the gaming industry, including competitive gaming, game development, graphic design, and coding. A third centre is under development.

Louisiana’s gun laws

The buyback events are part of efforts to address Louisiana’s recent easing of gun ownership laws, coupled with stricter penalties for violent crimes. While the state has historically recorded one of the highest homicide rates in the US, New Orleans has seen a notable decline in murders and non-fatal shootings over the past two years, police data shows.

 

In 2024, Republican Governor Jeff Landry introduced a tough-on-crime agenda shortly after taking office. New laws include trying 17-year-olds as adults and requiring convicted individuals to serve 85 per cent of their sentences before release. However, gun restrictions were also eased, allowing individuals 18 years or older to carry concealed weapons without a permit under a law enacted in August.

New Orleans truck attack

On New Year’s Day, tragedy struck New Orleans’ French Quarter as a 42-year-old US Army veteran, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, drove a Ford F-150 electric pickup through makeshift barriers into a crowd at Canal and Bourbon Streets, killing 15 and injuring dozens. Three improvised pipe bombs were found nearby, including one in the truck, indicating potential accomplices.

 

The attack occurred around 3:15 am during New Year’s celebrations in the historic tourist hub famed for its music and nightlife. After crashing into pedestrians, the suspect exited the vehicle and was killed in a shootout with police, during which two officers were injured.