One of America’s leading supermarkets, Walmart, has announced that it is removing guns and ammunition from being displayed in its stores for the time being. It cited civil unrest and looting incidents in the country’s major cities due to police killings as the reason for its decision.
It will not be the first time Walmart is taking such a decision this year 2020. In June, it took similar steps when protests became intense in some cities. It gave “an abundance of caution” as an excuse then. This time around, the vendor is taking more precautionary steps by asking all its outlets across the country where guns are sold to remove them from the display.
In a statement issued by Walmart, it said, “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.” It added that though arms could still be bought at the stores, they will not be on the usual display.
The United States has witnessed a series of protests in recent months due to African-American men and women being killed by the police. A significant case was that of George Floyd, whose killing by a cop sparked serious protests in Minnesota and Louisville and later spreading to other parts of the country. Subsequent killings of other men and women of color have also led to even more violent protests.
The city of Philadelphia has had its streets filled with protesters during the week after a black man named Walter Wallace Jr. was reported killed by police officers. Men of the force had been dispatched to the young man’s home after his family called for medical assistance.
Reactions trailing the killing have raised concerns on why the police, rather than medical assistance, were assigned to respond to the family’s call. The situation has been followed by violent protests, with the situation degenerating to banks and shops’ looting.
Port Richmond Walmart was not left out of the attacks as looters stormed the place on Tuesday and carted away several appliances and clothes displayed for sale. After the attack, boxes of ammunition that had been torn open littered the ground around the store premises, a situation which may have likely forced the brand to take its recent decision. Walmart’s decision also coincides with a noticeable increase in guns purchase in the United States this year.
Walmart has about five thousand outlets across the country but only sells arms and ammunition in just about half of them. Its recent decision is open-ended with no known date of returning the commodity on display.
Source: buzzfeednews.com
