Burbank community fighting back as gun store opens near elementary school
As the 14th gun store opens in Burbank, a local community has gathered to protest the store's location -- just blocks from an elementary school.
On Tuesday evening, a large group of those protestors met on the steps of Burbank's City Hall hoping to catch the attention of their City Council.
They're fighting to curb the number of stores in the area -- now the second highest per capita in the nation, with one gun store per 13,000 residents.
"There's a gun store in Burbank for every two-and-a-half Starbucks," said Aimee Powers, one of the many residents in attendance and speaking out against the newest store's opening. "That's a lot of gun stores."
The protestors gathered Tuesday with one prevalent issue in mind, as one of those stores called Gun World, relocates several blocks from its initial location on Magnolia Boulevard and considerably closer to Roosevelt Elementary School, just one-third of a mile away.
When approached for comment, Gun World had nothing to say other than that it was the first they had heard of the concern.
"You shouldn't be able to walk outside of the school, walk into a gun shop and come back," said Matt Hill, the Superintendent of Burbank Schools. "That does frighten me. That scares me, we need to have protections in place for our students."
Their concerns were heightened following the tragic mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, which left 19 students and two teachers dead.
"'Don't worry it's far away, it won't happen here.' Can I promise that? How can I promise that with 14 gun stores in our town?" one woman passionately argued in front of City Council.
Both Burbank and the City of Burbank are reportedly working together to conduct a study and survey their options in what they refer to as a "complicated national issue."
"There's a disconnect in my, and our community values and what we have, and we're addressing it," said City Councilwoman Sharon Springer.
"We want to take the time, to listen to the community, to study the issue and to get this right," echoed City Councilman Nick Schultz.
The survey is expected to be completed and returned to Burbank City Council by August 9.
On Thursday, June 9, parties with Gun World provided CBSLA with the following statement:
"Gun World has been serving the San Fernando Valley for 36 years. We have been located in Burbank for 22 years. We help support and supply law enforcement and security personnel with the equipment they need to safely perform their duties. We provide the public with a means to protect their family and enjoying shooting sports. Our company Supports law enforcement fundraisers as well as local youth sports teams. We are part of the Burbank Community. We are your neighbors, business owners, veterans, spouses, parents, and coaches. We have deep roots in Burbank and care greatly about the safety of our staff and our city. At our new facility we look forward to continuing our service to the Burbank Community and the County of Los Angeles."