The scene would have brought a gun fanatic to tears. A vanload of firearms—469 assorted handguns and long guns weighing more than 700 pounds—was fed piece by piece into the alligator shears at Biltmore Iron and Metal Co. on Aug. 24 at the behest of the Asheville Police Department. APD officers seize several guns per week, according to Capt. Daryl Fisher, and once no longer needed, the weapons are periodically destroyed to free up space for incoming property and evidence. Once the weapons have been reduced to metal shards and splintered wood, the scraps are buried at the landfill.
As each gun crunched in the metal-chopping jaws, an untold story came to an end. Most of the seized weapons were standard fare, explained Evidence Section Manager Lee Smith, though a handful looked more sinister than average hunting equipment. “This is an assault rifle,” he noted, displaying a long, black SKS spattered with orange spray paint. Later, an Uzi was spotted in the mix.
At press time, 600 handguns and 200 long guns remained with the APD’s Property/Evidence Unit, pending adjudication.
Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.