Confiscated Guns To Be Turned Into Peace Monuments Across LA

LOS ANGELES, CA — Thousands of weapons taken off the streets of Los Angeles County over the course of decades will soon be returned to those very same streets in the form of public art.

The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department will give confiscated firearms to the Peace Angels Project to create 12 monuments scattered around the county. The first of the 11-foot tall sculptures will is intended to be placed in a prominent Downtown location as a monument to transformation and peace.

"We are extremely proud to assist in this contribution to the Peace Angels Project during such a heightened period of gun violence," said Sheriff Alex Villanueva. "The LASD is committed to the safety and wellbeing of our communities and hopes this contribution will serve as a symbol of union between our local law enforcement agencies and our community members."

The guns, from a stockpile of handguns, rifles and automatic weapons, were confiscated during criminal investigations, probation seizures and collection events. They will be melted down to make the monuments by artist and Peace Angels Project founder Lin Evola.

"The wonderful honor to be invited to receive this stockpile of weapons is the culmination of over two decades of working closely with the LASD," Evola said. "The Peace Angels Project... mission is to remove weapons from our streets and use them as a beautiful symbol of our future."

Evola founded the Peace Angels Project in 1992 to address the epidemic of violence and reduce the number of weapons in the United States.

City News Service contributed to this report.