Queens is getting the lead out.
A gun buyback program yesterday at New Jerusalem Church in Jamaica blasted 509 guns off the street, organizers said.
“I had to get rid of it,” said Catherine Cruz, 55. “My granddaughter is 5-years-old and she’s living with me. I just don’t want [her] to find it.”
Cruz got a $200 gift card for turning in the handgun her brother-in-law got her a decade ago, after she was robbed on the way to work.
She said she intends to use the card to buy her granddaughter new clothes.
The program was launched by retired-NYPD Detective Sgt. Wallace Zeins, who said heavy promotion on television and in city housing projects helped turn-out.
“We’re making history today,” said Zeins, a 30-year police veteran. “By taking one gun off the street, you have no idea how many lives you can save. It’s the most rewarding experience.”
The surrendered guns included sawed-off shotguns, an AK 47 and a Tec-9.