Walmart Removes Guns From Some Sales Floors Amid Looting
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Walmart has removed guns from some of its sales floors as national unrest continues over the death of George Floyd.
The big-box retailer has confirmed that a number of its stores do not currently carry firearms and ammunition on sales floors. According to the company, the weapons are still available for purchase but have been stored in a “secure” room.
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“As a responsible seller of hunting and sporting firearms, we have temporarily removed firearms and ammunition from the sales floor in some stores out of an abundance of caution,” a spokesperson told FN.
Walmart — which has more than 4,700 stores across the United States — did not specify how many stores had pulled guns from shelves and whether it had moved other products to storage. It does not sell firearms in many of the metropolitan markets that have experienced looting over the past few days.
Business Insider was the first to report the news on Wednesday.
Walmart is among the major nationwide brands and retailers that have temporarily closed stores as demonstrations continue over the killing of Floyd, an unarmed black man, at the hands of Minneapolis police on May 25. Protests in metropolitan cities from coast to coast have spanned from peaceful to riotous. Lootings have also erupted across parts of the country, leaving many stores vandalized.
On Sunday, several dozen of the Bentonville, Ark.-based company’s stores were shuttered in an effort to help protect employees and shoppers. Early this week, Walmart shared that damage as a result of looting has made it unclear when affected outposts would be able to reopen.
“We’re monitoring this situation closely as it develops and will continue closing stores in select markets as a safety precaution for our customers and associates,” a spokesperson said on Monday.
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