A handful of large American retail companies are changing their gun sales policies in the wake of the Parkland, Fla., shooting that took the lives of 17 people.
Nikolas Cruz, 19, opened fire at a Florida high school in Feb. 14, killing 17 individuals before authorities were able to get him in custody. The tragedy renewed the gun control debate in America, sparking heated conversations in both the media and the halls of the Capitol Building.
Congress continues to debate the issue, however, some of American largest retail companies are stopping the sales of assault-style weapons.
Dick’s Sporting Goods
The nation’s largest outdoor sports retailer announced Wednesday that it will no longer sell AR-15 style rifles like the one Cruz used in the Florida shooting. The company also said it will not sell guns to anyone under the age of 21-years-old.
“As we sat and talked about it with our management team, it was — to a person — that this is what we need to do,” Dick’s CEO Edward Stack told CNN Wednesday. “These kids talk about enough is enough. We concluded if these kids are brave enough to organize and do what they’re doing, we should be brave enough to take this stand.”
Dick’s ban on selling AR-15s may not be as courageous at it appears on the surface. The retailer hasn’t sold an AR-15 at its main stores since 2012.
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Walmart
Walmart, which stopped selling assault-style rifles in 2015, announced Wednesday that it would no raise the minimum age to purchase a firearm at its stores to 21-years-old.
L.L. Bean
Like Walmart, L.L. Bean said it will no longer sell guns or ammunition to anyone under the age of 21.
In the wake of this shooting we have reviewed our policy on firearm sales, and we will no longer be selling guns or ammunition to anyone under the age of 21. ^kw
— L.L.Bean (@LLBean) March 2, 2018
“In the wake of this shooting we have reviewed our policy on firearm sales, and we will no longer be selling guns or ammunition to anyone under the age of 21,” the company tweeted.
Kroger
Kroger grocery store chain announced Thursday that it will raise the minimum age for purchasing guns and ammunition to 21. The company also said it stopped selling assault-style rifles in our Oregon, Washington and Idaho years ago.
Policy Update: Firearm Sales pic.twitter.com/v7qwaMgcQJ
— Kroger News (@KrogerNews) March 1, 2018
REI
REI announced Thursday that it is putting pressure on its business partners to stop selling assault-style rifles.
The company does not sell guns directly, but it’s trying to exert pressure on a few of the companies it sells at its stores to confront the gun control debate.
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