Walmart, Dick’s Suspend Sale of Certain Semi-Automatic Rifles—What Do You Think?
In wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary mass shooting, Dick's Sporting Goods also has removed all guns from the store closest to Newtown, CT.
In wake of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary, two major retailers are pulling the plug on sales of certain semi-automatic weapons nationwide.
Dick’s Sporting Goods, one of the largest sporting goods retailers in the world, has suspended sales of some semi-automatic rifles from all stores.
The company, which is headquartered in Moon Township, also has removed all guns from its chain closest to Newtown, CT.
In a statement, the store said it ordered the move out of respect for the victims and families of Newtown. Friday’s shooting left 20 children, all between the ages of 6 and 7, and six adults dead.
“We are extremely saddened by the unspeakable tragedy that occurred last week in Newtown, CT, and our hearts go out to the victims and their families, and to the entire community,” a statement on the Dick’s website said.
CNN reports authorities are working to determine if Adam Lanza, the 20-year-old shooter who killed himself inside the elementary school once the shooting spree was over, tried to buy a gun at the Dick’s Sporting Goods in Danbury, which is about 12 miles away from Newtown.
“At this time, reports that the suspect visited one of our stores last week have not been confirmed by law enforcement," the sporting goods store said in a statement to CNN. "Based on our records, we can confirm that no firearms were sold to the suspect identified in this case."
It is unknown how long Dick's ban on semi-automatic rifles, also known as modern sporting rifles, will last, CNN reports.
The Bushmaster Patrolman's Carbine M4A3 Rifle also no longer will be sold from Walmart's online store.
A military-style assault rifle, the Bushmaster is in the same family of guns as the one Lanza reportedly used in the massacre, the Huffington Post reports.
Locally, Dick’s Sporting Goods has stores in Cranberry, Ross Township, Robinson, Monroeville and at the South Hills Village Mall in Upper St. Clair and the Pittsburgh Mills Mall in Tarentum.
Walmart also has locations throughout the Pittsburgh area, including Cranberry.
We want to know what you think? Do you agree with Dick’s decision to suspend sales of semi-automatic rifles? What about removing the guns from the store near Newtown?
Should Dick’s make the ban a permanent decision?
Leave your thoughts in the comment section below or take our Patch Poll.
This article originally appeared on Cranberry Patch.
really
3:08 pm on Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Dumb....
Ed M
8:14 pm on Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Why is it dumb? What does a normal citizen need a semi-automatic weapon for?
Lisa
4:17 pm on Tuesday, December 18, 2012
no normal person really has a need for a semi automatic military weapon do they??? so why not make them a little harder to get than your local wal-mart or sporting good stores? I see nothing wrong with this. I do not believe that taking away guns or stronger gun laws are the answer, but there are some weapons that a typical person just doesn't really have a need for1
chris
7:29 am on Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Well said Lisa. for real Wal-mart online now that is dumb. I don't belive in banning them, just make it a little more difficult to buy than site to store.
David Edick
10:53 am on Wednesday, December 19, 2012
I want to note a correction that needs to be made:
You quoted the Huffington Post by saying "A military-style assault rifle". That is incorrect, it is not an assault rifle. By definition, a weapon has to be fully automatic in order for it to be classified as an assault weapon as stated by the US Military.
Also, i believe that banning firearms is never going to be the answer, cigarettes and automobiles kill more people each year (not collectively, but singularly) than guns ever have and yet no one is doing anything about that.
Remember, guns don't kill people, people kill people.
Robert
7:45 pm on Wednesday, December 19, 2012
So pathetic the things people say
Robert L. Beiler
10:59 am on Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Unfortunately the action taken by these stores will not stop a "mentally unstable" person from doing these unthinkable things. This is the reason why, in the past, we institutionalized some people with mental illness. It is very very sad!!
Mary Ellen MacPherson
8:53 pm on Wednesday, December 19, 2012
People use guns to kill people. People use semi-automatic rifles with huge magazines full of huge quantities of bullets to kill many people in a short amount of time. To stop the slaughter, these types of guns should be eliminated from production, sale, use and ownership. Anything less guarantees another massacre.