A gun buyback in San Jose turned a cache of weapons into potential park play-date replacements as local authorities and residents joined forces to remove firearms from the streets. The haul included everything from handguns to a high-powered rocket launcher—a find that's as unusual as it is shocking. According to CBS News San Francisco, 408 firearms were handed over to officials at the Reid-Hillview Airport last weekend.

Santa Clara County and the City of San Jose, in a concerted effort, managed to quickly assemble a buyback that drew in an assortment of weapons. Among the arsenals surrendered to peace were an Uzi submachine gun and a rocket launcher. "Residents of the 408 area code stepped up to voluntarily turn in 408 firearms at the San Jose Gun Buyback at Reid-Hillview Airport on December 2, and that has us feeling extra grateful this holiday season," Supervisor Otto Lee remarked in a statement acquired by KRON4.

Details show a total of $40,050 was distributed to participants, and the collection included 133 handguns, 275 rifles, and more than a dozen assault-style weapons. A particularly concerning finding was the 20 ghost guns, untraceable weapons that raise alarms for law enforcement. The initiative, which occurred on San Jose's east side, forms part of a broader approach by Santa Clara County to combat gun violence through similar events and programs.

The guns are now securely in the care of the sheriff's office, awaiting their scheduled destruction. Residents still wishing to responsibly dispose of unwanted firearms may find this to be an even more accessible option through the Sheriff's Office's Gun Relinquishment Program. They can either visit their website or dial 408-299-2311 for more details. "Since last May, we have collected more than 1,100 guns at three buybacks in Milpitas, South County, and San Jose—that's more than one thousand chances to remotely save a life," Lee told the press.