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CHARLOTTE—A Charlotte church is helping to fight crime by taking guns off of the streets.

The Grier Heights Improvement Organization hosted a gun buy back program at the Antioch Baptist church. The gun buy back program is one way the Grier Heights Improvement Organization is fighting back. The group collected unregistered guns on Saturday at the church. In return, gun owners received a gift card and no questions were asked. All guns collected were turned over to the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department where they will be destroyed. Organizers said receiving just one gun would be enough to deem the program a success.

James McGill, a church member, volunteered for the event because it's message hits close to home.

"He was really an all around good son," McGill said of his son, Ja'Ron."I didn't have any trouble out of him really. It's unfortunate that he was walking home on a Sunday afternoon, Sunday night."

Last August, his son was gunned down in a drive-by shooting. Almost a year later, his family still does not have any answers.

"[At] this point we don't know who or why," said McGill.

Quickly, the turnout exceeded the church's expectations, even bringing in people who had guns that didn't want them or know what to do with them.

“I had it under my bed all this time," said Hoppie Chisolm, a gun owner. "I wanted to get rid of it and didn't know what to do with it. I didn't want to just throw it out."

"It was scary," Michael Flyod said about having his unwanted gun in his house. "Even though my kids are grown. I have a little grand baby now. I really didn't want it in the house."

Many of the guns collected were passed down from generations. While organizers don't believe those that participated in the program are potentially violent offenders, they do say the program helps keep the firearms out of the wrong hands.

"(We're) trying to get these weapons from the hands of even the untrained young people who say look watch this, and then from them watching this they may harm someone," said Robert Muhammad, event organizer.

The pain of loosing a child is something James McGill has to live with everyday. That's why he makes this plea,

"Don't wait until your son, your nephew or niece is murdered. Take action now and stop the violence and the crime," said McGill.

McGill says the efforts are not just for his son, but so more families don't have to experience the pain his family has endured.

No arrests have been made in Ja'Ron McGill's murder. A $5,000 reward is available for anyone with information leading to an arrest. You're asked to call CrimeStoppers at 704-334-1600.