GHOULISH? Pennsylvania County Coroner To Auction Off "Suicide Guns"

suicide handgun
The Westmoreland County (PA) Coroner’s Office has nearly 100 guns to sell off.

The Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office is willing to make you a great deal on nearly 100 firearms… if you can stomach their dark histories.

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A western Pennsylvania coroner is auctioning off about 100 guns used in suicides and accidental shooting deaths.

Coroner Ken Bacha says the Nov. 8 surplus weapons sale is Westmoreland County government’s first since his father was coroner in the 1980s.

He says state law requires local governments sell off unclaimed property. Proceeds will help fund county government.

Bacha’s office took possession of the guns during death investigations. Family members had a year to get them back before they became county property. Some of the weapons have been in the county’s hands for decades.

suicide guns
Family members did not want to reclaim firearms used by their loved ones to commit suicide, or which contributed to negligent deaths, including hunting accidents.

I think we can all understand that family members would not want to retake possession of an item that a loved one used to end his or her life, as it would serve as a constant remind of loss.

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The Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office is hoping that selling the firearms—which have obviously been cleaned since they were last used—to a third party who doesn’t have any connection to the emotional baggage associated with a given firearm can help raise money for the county, while also freeing up storage space.

I’m not given to being a superstitious person, but I’m not going to intentionally seek out firearms knowing that they were last used by a desperate person to end his or her life.

Would you?

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