Skip to main content

The Today File

Your guide to the latest news from around the Northwest

January 26, 2013 at 2:26 PM

Surface-to-air missile tube shows up at Seattle gun buyback event

A Seattle police officer displays the missile tube someone brought to the gun buyback event in downtown Seattle Saturday morning. (Photo courtesy of the city of Seattle)

A lot of guns showed up at the city of Seattle’s gun buyback event today, but it’s not likely anyone was prepared for a surface-to-air missile tube that someone turned in.

Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn apparently was mistaken when he tweeted at midday today that the missile tube was a grenade launcher, as an earlier version of this story said. Here’s the tweet: @SeattlePD take possession of RPG launcher at today’s gun buyback.

Details on who brought the contraption to the show weren’t immediately available and as you can see by the photo, it’s not necessarily in mint condition.

The buyback effort took in a lot of guns, but the sponsors ran out of the gift certificates they were handing out in exchange for the guns turned in and there was a steady business on the street by people buying guns from those standing in line, even before they had a chance to exchange their guns for a gift certificate.

Comments | More in General news, Government, The Blotter | Topics: gun buyback, rocket launcher, Seattle Police

About The Today File

The Today File is a general news blog featuring real-time coverage of Seattle and the Northwest. It is reported by the news staff of The Seattle Times and edited by Assistant Metro Editor Nick Provenza.

Please send feedback about this blog to webmaster@seattletimes.com, and direct news tips to newstips@seattletimes.com.

Advertising

Seattle Times Needle cam

Trending with readers

On Facebook

Recent Activity

Advertising

Multimedia

Advertising

Advertising

Your free access has ended.

Subscribe today for unlimited access! Our introductory rate of only 99¢ a week includes:

  • Unlimited access to seattletimes.com
  • Seattle Times smartphone and tablet Web apps
  • Daily Print Replica -- an exact digital copy of the newspaper
Subscription options

Already a subscriber?

Digital access is already included with your print subscription!

Log in with your MyTimes account:
Subscriber login

If you've never used MyTimes:
Register your subscription