(April 2, 2013) — The Glendale Gun Show had been a tradition for many years in Glendale and is held a few times every year. Recently, however, the Glendale City Council vote to ban the gun show from public property. The ban was proposed on March 12 and it passed with a 3-2 vote on March 19. Council members Raffi Manukyan and David Weaver voted against the ban, but were outvoted by members Laura Friedman, Ara Najarian and Mayor Frank Quintero. The ban was brought to the council after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings. Some City Council members showed their concerns about the safety of the gun show and the possible dangers it holds, especially considering where it’s located. Because the gun show was normally held on Verdugo Road near the Glendale Community College, many questioned the safety of holding the gun show near a school. Glendale City Council candidate Zareh Sinanyan described his concerns concerning the gun show. “I’m a gun owner and a wholehearted supporter of the 2nd Amendment to bear arms. With that said, though, I think having a gun show on public property, especially in a venue near a college, a church and school for mentally disabled students doesn’t fit into the image of Glendale,” Sinanyan said. Many supporters of the gun show appeared before the Glendale City Council to speak before the council voted. Sophomore Connor Clark, a self-described gun enthusiast, said the gun shows always seemed conducted in a professional manner. “It’s a pretty safe environment,” Clark said. “I personally doubted that everyone there would have guns that were completely legal, but to my surprise, everything was in accordance,” Clark said. He also described his dissatisfaction with the city’s decision. “This just isn’t a good idea. Everyone that goes to a gun show is a law-abiding citizen and all the guns were safety checked,” Clark said. Friedman and Quintero shared their concerns about the possible dangers while Manukyan and Weaver described the proposed ban as merely a knee-jerk reaction to the shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School. There were other factors that the City Council had to look into with the ban. The gun show in Glendale is one of the only ones in the Southern California area and brings in revenue for the city annually: around $60,000. Also, the ban on the gun show might breach the contract between the City of Glendale and Steve Friesen, the operator of the gun show. Due to the early termination of the contract, he has threatened to go to court on the grounds that the city has breached their contract. Sinanyan stated that banning the gun show at this time was not the greatest route that the city of Glendale could have taken. “I wouldn’t just ban the gun show; I would probably wait for their contract to expire so that we don’t breach our contract,” Sinanyan said. Clark pointed out that the owners of the gun show would need time to relocate. “If the city really doesn’t want to budge with their decision, then they should have allowed the owner of the show to find a new suitable location to hold the gun show before banning it from public property,” Clark said. Even though the gun show has been banned on public property, the city still allows for the gun show to be held in Glendale, so long as it’s held in a private area. The revenue that the show makes, however, will no longer go toward the city. Sinanyan stated, “On average $60,000 a year is revenue from the gun show. This is important now due to the problems we face now with the economy.”