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Seattle mayor's omission: Buyback guns already destroyed

Josh Trujillo
/
Associated Press

Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn has apologized for making a deliberate omission this week when he announced a plan to turn guns from a buyback program into plaques carrying messages of peace.

McGinn left the impression during a news conference on Tuesday the 700-plus weapons collected at a highly publicized buyback in January would be used to make the plaques.

But, as first reported by KIRO-FM, the mayor knew those weapons had already been melted down into rebar.

McGinn apologized Thursday in a statement emailed to The Associated Press. He says he should have been more forthcoming, but wasn't because he didn't want the details to distract from the "Weapons to Words" program.

He says guns from future gun buybacks will be used in the program.

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