DALLAS — “Don’t euthanize your guns!” the man called from across the street to people lining up for our gun buyback, near City Hall in Dallas. “We’ll pay more for your gun over here.”

It was the month after the massacre in Newtown, Conn., five years ago, and the community ministry I’m involved with at my church was holding another “buyback” — an opportunity for people to bring in any working handgun, rifle or semiautomatic assault weapon for cash, with the promise that it would be turned into scrap.

The man with the bullhorn called again: “Bring us your guns. Let them go to a good home.”

Our buybacks had once been placid affairs, averaging about 90 guns per event. The Stewpot, a day shelter for the homeless affiliated with the First Presbyterian Church, organized them out of its concern for community safety. We paid cash — $50 for handguns and rifles and up to $200 for semiautomatic weapons — and had a “no questions asked” policy. We wanted to give people a chance to get rid of their weapons because even in Texas, plenty of people want that chance.

We held these events on Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day, and just before Christmas. The December buyback was always popular. The San Diego Police Department this month discovered that, too — it ran out of money after buying 164 guns with $25,000 in gift cards.