Major retailers ban open carry of firearms
A customer pushes a shopping cart Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2019, outside a Walmart store, in Walpole, Mass. Walmart is going back to its folksy hunting heritage and getting rid of anything that's not related to a hunting rifle after two mass shootings in its stores in one week left 24 people dead in August of 2019. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Walmart is receiving mixed responses after announcing they will no longer sell handgun and short barrel rifle ammunition.
The decision comes shortly after a series of mass shootings—one of which claimed 24 lives inside a Texas Walmart Supercenter on Aug. 3, 2019.
President and CEO of Walmart Doug McMilon wrote in a statement, “In a complex situation lacking a simple solution, we are trying to take constructive steps to reduce the risk that events like these will happen again.”
In the same statement, Walmart’s CEO asked that its customers would refrain from openly carrying firearms within its stores. “We are respectfully requesting that customers no longer openly carry firearms into our stores or Sam’s Clubs in states where ‘open carry’ is permitted—unless they are authorized law enforcement officers.”
Senior healthcare administration major Ashley Huhta agrees with Walmart’s stance on restricting the open carry firearms.
“Based off the recent shootings in the United States,” Huhta said, “it is a good thing major companies are taking proactive measures to protect their customers by promoting these policies.”
Soon after Walmart’s announcement, grocery retailer Kroger said it will also ask customers not to carry weapons into its nearly 2,000 grocery stores.
Jessica Adelman, Kroger’s vice president of corporate affairs, said in a statement, “Kroger has demonstrated with our actions that we recognize the growing chorus of Americans who are no longer comfortable with the status quo and who are advocating for concrete and common sense gun reforms.”
Walgreens, CVS and Wegmans Food Market have joined Walmart and Kroger in the stance against openly carrying firearms in stores across the nation.
In a press release on Sept. 5, Walgreens stated, “We are joining other retailers in asking our customers to no longer openly carry firearms into our stores other than authorized law enforcement officials.”
On the same Thursday, CVS—the largest pharmacy chain in the United States—issued a press release stating, “We support the efforts of individuals and groups working to prevent gun violence, and continually review our policies and procedures to ensure our stores remain a safe environment.” It continues, “We join a growing chorus of businesses in requesting that our customers, other than authorized law enforcement personnel, do not bring firearms into our stores.”
That evening, Wegmans Food Markets, a supermarket chain primarily located in the Northeast, posted a tweet:
