Walmart removes guns and ammo from sales floors

Walmart has removed gun and ammunition displays from all its store sales floors to avoid theft if civil unrest escalates.

Sarah Nassauer reported the news exclusively for the Wall Street Journal:

Walmart Inc. WMT -0.09% has removed all guns and ammunition from the sales floors of its U.S. stores this week, aiming to head off any potential theft of firearms if stores are broken into amid social unrest.

The retail giant, which sells firearms in about half of its 4,700 U.S. stores, said customers can still purchase guns and ammunition upon request even though they are no longer on display.

Richard Davis from CNN wrote:

“We have seen some isolated civil unrest and as we have done on several occasions over the last few years, we have moved our firearms and ammunition off the sales floor as a precaution for the safety of our associates and customers,” said Kory Lundberg, a Walmart spokesperson.

There is no timetable for returning the items to the sales floor, but “the items do remain available for purchase by customers,” Lundberg said.

NPR’s Vanessa Romo noted:

The killing of Walter Wallace Jr., whose family says they called 911 to summon an ambulance for help as he wandered in and out of traffic carrying a knife during a “psychological episode,” was captured in multiple graphic cellphone videos. They went viral almost immediately, prompting further national outrage over excessive use of force by police, especially when dealing with Black Americans.

In Philadelphia, that outrage spilled into the streets as people railed against the police department in protest. But what started off as peaceful demonstrations quickly turned violent on Monday night.