Walmart announces major plans to scale back gun sales

After two shootings in their El Paso, Texas and Southaven, Mississippi stores, the CEO of Walmart has announced major changes to the chain's gun sale policies, including no longer selling ammunition for assault-style weapons and discontinuing the sale of handgun ammunition.

CEO Doug McMillion revealed the changes in a company-wide email sent this morning.

Today, we're sharing the decisions we've made that go further:
" After selling through our current inventory commitments, we will discontinue sales of short-barrel rifle ammunition such as the .223 caliber and 5.56 caliber that, while commonly used in some hunting rifles, can also be used in large capacity clips on military-style weapons;
" We will sell through and discontinue handgun ammunition; and
" We will discontinue handgun sales in Alaska, marking our complete exit from handguns.

We know these decisions will inconvenience some of our customers, and we hope they will understand. As a company, we experienced two horrific events in one week, and we will never be the same.

The store will also request that customers no longer carry firearms in the open while shopping.

As it relates to safety in our stores, there have been multiple incidents since El Paso where individuals attempting to make a statement and test our response have entered our stores carrying weapons in a way that frightened or concerned our associates and customers. We have also had well-intentioned customers acting lawfully that have inadvertently caused a store to be evacuated and local law enforcement to be called to respond. These incidents are concerning and we would like to avoid them, so 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.

In addition, Walmart is urging Congress to pass enhanced background checks when they return from their summer recess.

Your move, Massacre Mitch?

Walmart plans to dramatically step back from gun sales after 'horrific' shootings (CNBC) (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)