Walmart is taking steps to prevent another El Paso:
NEW: Walmart ends all handgun ammunition sales and asks customers not to carry guns into stores
— Ana Cabrera (@AnaCabrera) September 3, 2019
JUST IN: Walmart announces it will stop selling handgun ammunition and ammunition for short-barrel rifles, and will stop selling handguns in Alaska, the only state where it still sells handguns. https://t.co/yPIUwm7DNq
— CNN (@CNN) September 3, 2019
More from CNN:
The company, America’s largest retailer, said it will stop selling handgun ammunition and ammunition commonly used in assault-style weapons after selling all of its current inventory. Walmart (WMT) will also stop selling handguns in Alaska, the only state where it still sells handguns. And Walmart will request that customers no longer openly carry guns into its 4,700 US stores, or its Sam’s Club stores, in states that allow open carry.
“It’s clear to us that the status quo is unacceptable,” Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said in a memo to employees on Tuesday.
Not sure what "ammunition for short-barrel rifles" is supposed to mean. I'm not aware of any such ammunition. Short-barrel rifles use the same ammunition as any other kind of rifle. https://t.co/q6exiESHcf
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) September 3, 2019
I'm guessing they're talking about not selling intermediate cartridges like the .223 or 7.62 but still selling cartridges like .300 win mag or .30-06. I guess we'll have to wait and see because the initial description makes no sense at all.
— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) September 3, 2019
Speaking of making no sense at all, what exactly does Walmart hope to accomplish here? To be fair, Walmart is only discouraging open carry, and CNN reports that permit holders will still be allowed to concealed carry:
They say nothing against concealed carry, so assuming that’s allowed for anyone left still interested in doing business with Walmart. https://t.co/dat0zU3uhQ
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) September 3, 2019
But it seems reasonable to ask how prohibiting lawful gun owners from carrying openly will prevent further mass shootings.
great idea……when the next hoodlum that comes in shooting…everybody can just stand there and watch
— friend (@friend23456) September 3, 2019
Walmart wants its law-abiding customers and employees to be defenseless against would-be killers? Good to know. https://t.co/31fJvXmiUb
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) September 3, 2019
*Man shoots up a Walmart* @Walmart – "Know what would be great? Is that if this ever happens again, no one would be able to defend themselves." https://t.co/Oln2qGoNAm
— Brandon Morse (@TheBrandonMorse) September 3, 2019
Yeah we don't want any of you law abiding citizens defending yourselves and those around you next time there's a crazy guy with a gun walking through the store shooting people.
— rawcalcat (@rawcalcat) September 3, 2019
Pretty cool of Walmart to make sure the next mass shooter has to buy his ammo elsewhere before he guns down twenty of their customers who are no longer allowed to defend themselves. https://t.co/BNUZIVEufF
— Jesse Kelly (@JesseKellyDC) September 3, 2019
A wannabe mass shooter isn’t going to care whether or not open carry is allowed. He or she would actually probably not be carrying openly so as not to draw any attention to him or herself. Moreover, what’s to prevent said shooter from purchasing ammunition elsewhere? This just seems like an exercise in feel-good futility.
If only they’d asked the shooter not to bring his gun to the mass shooting, this all could’ve been prevented
— Jimber (@notablyharmless) September 3, 2019
***
Update:
Walmart CEO Doug McMillon's full statement on the company's gun sales and "open carry" changes. pic.twitter.com/b1hHUbIttm
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) September 3, 2019
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