Council Backs L.A. Gun Law, Acts on Repairs From Shootout

Moving to quickly heal the scars left by last month’s bloody shootout in North Hollywood, the Los Angeles City Council on Friday approved two efforts to repair damage caused by the gun battle.

The council also voted to support legislation that would remove state restrictions and allow the city to adopt its own gun control laws.

The three separate motions come only two weeks after two men armed with assault weapons shot up the neighborhood with armor-piercing bullets after a botched bank robbery. Both robbers were killed by police.

Hundreds of bullets fired by the robbers and police shattered car windshields and windows and pierced walls and street signs.

One proposal, presented by Councilman Joel Wachs, instructs the city attorney’s office to speed payment of claims filed by people whose homes, business or cars were damaged.

“I just want to make people whole again,” said Wachs, who represents the North Hollywood community. “I don’t want people to have to go through 9 million legal hoops” to get paid.

A deputy city attorney told the council that the city has so far received 11 claims for damage, ranging from $82 to fix a bullet hole in a window to $9,200 to replace a car that was shot up in the gunfight.