Hochul: Interstate Task Force on Illegal Guns has seized more than 1,700 illegally possessed guns

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) — The Interstate Task Force on Illegal Guns has taken 1,753 illegally possessed guns off the streets of New York, of those, 1,266 were from New York City.

That’s according to Gov. Kathy Hochul.

The federal, state and regional partnership began in late January as part of New York’s effort to tackle the gun violence we’ve seen in Rochester and across the country. Agencies from Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, Ohio, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New Hampshire are in the task force.

New York State Police increased gun tracing investigations by 75% and have doubled the number of guns seized since the program started.

This year so far, 18 people have been killed in Monroe County.

Of those homicides, 14 involved a firearm. That’s 78% of murders this year.

Of the four remaining killings, one was a stabbing and one involved a car.