MIAMI GARDENS, FLA. (WSVN) - A luxury car rental company is allowing the community to trade in guns for a sweet ride.
Rashawn Welch, the owner of exotic car rental business 305 Elite, is hoping he can make the community a little safer with a unique transaction.
“We have the G Wagon Mercedes and we have a Rolls-Royce Ghost,” Welch said.
These are just two luxury cars that someone can rent for free in exchange for a gun.
Even high schoolers planning to arrive to prom in a nice car can take advantage of this offer.
“You turn in a gun, we’ll turn around and give you a car for prom,” Welch said. “You won’t have to use your mother’s money, your father’s money.”
Using Instagram to promote his event, the business owner has made fighting gun violence among youth his top priority. He also leads an organization called Cease Fire Now.
“What we do is we bring it up to the police department, let them check it out, and make sure everything is good,” Welch said.
He showed 7News how it works on Friday.
Welch drove to the Miami Gardens Police Department and turned over one of the guns given to him — no questions asked.
“We’re going to make ourselves a safer community for these types of weapons to be taken off the street, especially if they’re illegal,” said Miami Gardens Police Assistant Chief J.D. Patterson.
The department has been working with Welch, taking the guns into their possession and later destroying them.
A typical rental can cost upwards of $900 for 24 hours. Welch said this is all worth it.
“If that’s all I can do, to give them this sweet ride and get this gun off the street, I’ll get 100 cars to get 100 guns off the street,” he said.
Welch said this program will continue year-round.
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