The Carter County Sheriff’s Department has more than 100 guns to hand out.
To their original owners, that is.
The handguns, rifles and other firearms have been in the custody of the sheriff’s department for almost three years, since the historic May 2017 high water that flooded their previous building. Owners have until Feb. 26 to claim the items.
“This is (from) when the evidence room flooded in 2017,” said Sgt. Kris Wilkins. “We’re just trying to get them out of our way to have more room for evidence.”
Areas in and around the Riverways received more than 15 inches of rain April 29-30, 2017. The Current River crested in early May at 39 feet, 10 feet higher than the previous record set in 1904.
The statute of limitations has expired on all of the weapons the sheriff’s department has to release, he said.
“Most of the records (of original owners) were lost during the flood,” Wilkins said.
That doesn’t mean just anyone can claim one of the guns though.
Anyone claiming ownership must be able to provide proof of ownership. The firearm serial number must be included on the proof of ownership, the sheriff’s department said in a release Thursday.
If ownership is verified, a background check will be performed, as is required by law. The firearm would be released after those steps are completed.
Any firearms from this group that are not claimed by Feb. 26 will be submitted for disposal, according to the sheriff’s department.