This weekend’s guns-for-groceries event was both successful and disturbing. On Saturday, hundreds of people showed up at two locations to surrender firearms in exchange for $100 or $200 Foodland gift cards, no questions asked.

The successful part: Police and state officials collected 494 firearms (and handed out gun locks for those who needed them), extending the event by two hours because of the high turnout. The disturbing part: The haul included presumably illegal ghost guns, sawed-off shotguns and guns with silencers.

Yes, getting these weapons off the street speaks well of the buyback program. But how they got onto the street in the first place warrants further investigation.