On Saturday, a white supremacist killed 20 people and injured dozens of others at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas. On Sunday, nine people were shot and killed in downtown Dayton, Ohio, with 27 others injured. Walmart has an interesting role in this: While company founder Sam Walton was an avid hunter, most people associate the big box store with groceries, cleaning supplies, and clothing. In many locations, perhaps surprising to some, you can buy guns and ammunition. And while it depends on the state, Walmart does allow you to open carry in stores where it’s legal to do so.
Walmart stopped selling assault rifles in 2015 (the idea that you could ever buy an assault rifle in Walmart is terrifying) and removed toys that looked like assault weapons from its stores. After the Parkland massacre, Walmart adjusted the minimum age to buy a gun in its stores to 21.
As reported by CNN Business, Walmart hasn’t sold the specific kind of gun used in Saturday’s shooting in years, though it still continues to sell guns and ammunition. People are now calling on the retailer to stop selling guns entirely.
Walmart’s official account tweeted about the mass shooting in its El Paso store, where it basically offered the corporate version of “thoughts and prayers,” as you can see below:
Then it got, in a word, ratioed. Here are some of the replies … and a response from the company about its decision to continue selling guns.
So, is Walmart going to stop selling guns? As of now, that’s a big nope.
“There’s not been any directive to any stores around the country to change any policy,” company spokesman Randy Hargrove told Bloomberg in an interview. “We’re focused on supporting our associates, customers and the entire El Paso community.”
It’s unclear how many Walmart locations sell guns today, but as of 2011, almost 2,000 (out of 4,000 total) retail locations sold them.