Walmart announced on Wednesday they were raising the age restriction on gun and ammunition purchases to 21. It's the second such announcement in less than a day from one of the country's largest gun retailers.
In a statement posted to their website, the company referred to making the change
"in light of recent events" and that the stores will endeavor to make the change "as quickly as possible."
Certain rifles, such as the AR-15, haven't been sold at Walmart since 2015 the company notes in its release. The company also pointed out that their stores do not sell handguns (except in their Alaska locations) and do not sell controversial accessories such as bump stocks or high-capacity magazines.
Walmart also said that "Assault-style" rifle toys and air guns will also be removed for sale from the website.
The company's decision comes after an earlier announcement by Dick's Sporting Goods, who also said they would end the sale of firearms to anyone under the age of 21 and that their locations would no longer carry high-capacity magazines.
Dick's Sporting Goods To Stop Selling Assault Rifles
By Bill Galluccio
The twin announcements were issued in the wake of a gunman who entered a Florida school two weeks ago with an AR-15 rifle, killing 17 students and staff members. Companies have been taking a harder line on guns recently, with a number of businesses severing their relationships with the National Rifle Association. Delta Airlines, Hertz Car Rental, and MetLife insurance have all issued announcements, ending their relationship with the lobbying organization.
Activists and lawmakers met with President Trump on Tuesday, hoping to find common ground on gun control measures, such as raising the age limit on gun purchases and stronger background checks. Both policies are strongly opposed by the NRA.
You can read Walmart's full statement below:
In light of recent events, we've taken an opportunity to review our policy on firearm sales. Going forward, we are raising the age restriction for purchase of firearms and ammunition to 21 years of age. We will update our processes as quickly as possible to implement this change.
In 2015, Walmart ended sales of modern sporting rifles, including the AR-15. We also do not sell handguns, except in Alaska where we feel we should continue to offer them to our customers. Additionally, we do not sell bump stocks, high-capacity magazines and similar accessories. We have a process to monitor our eCommerce marketplace and ensure our policies are applied.
We take seriously our obligation to be a responsible seller of firearms and go beyond Federal law by requiring customers to pass a background check before purchasing any firearm. The law would allow the sale of a firearm if no response to a background check request has been received within three business days, but our policy prohibits the sale until an approval is given.
We are also removing items from our website resembling assault-style rifles, including nonlethal airsoft guns and toys. Our heritage as a company has always been in serving sportsmen and hunters, and we will continue to do so in a responsible way.
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