Walmart raises minimum age to purchase guns and ammunition to 21
NEW YORK -- Walmart, the largest seller of firearms and ammunition in the U.S., announced Wednesday that it would no longer sell guns or ammo to anyone under the age of 21. The move comes the same day that Dick's Sporting Goods announced it would no longer sell firearms to anyone under 21 and said it would stop selling assault-style weapons.
In a statement, Walmart said the decision came "in light of recent events," falling two weeks after 17 people were killed and 15 others were wounded at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Police said the 19-year-old suspect, Nikolas Cruz, used an AR-15 rifle.
Since the Parkland shooting, there have been increased calls for a ban on weapons such as AR-15s and raising the age required to legally purchase a gun.
President Trump indicated Wednesday that he would support raising the age for firearm sales.
Walmart said it will be "removing items from our website resembling assault-style rifles, including nonlethal airsoft guns and toys." Walmart stopped selling modern sporting rifles, including the AR-15, in 2015.
The company also noted it does not sell bump stocks, which are used to increase the rate of fire of semiautomatic weapons . Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock used bump stocks when he opened fire on Oct. 1, killing 58 and wounding more than 450 others. Mr. Trump indicated Wednesday he would soon issue regulations to ban bump stocks.