In the wake of massacres, Walmart is pressured to stop selling guns

The kind of gun used in Saturday’s attack has not been sold at Walmart in years. But now that gun violence has hit Walmart’s own stores as customers were back-to-school shopping with their kids, many are wondering whether the company will take additional steps to limit firearms sales.

“As an employer and a place where a huge population of very diverse people shop, it’s in Walmart’s interest to reiterate what it’s going to do to ensure that it’s employers and its customers are safe,” said Kris Brown, president of gun violence prevention advocacy group Brady.

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Venture capitalist and entrepreneur Chris Sacca had a similar response: “Hey @Walmart, maybe you could, hmm, I don’t know, stop selling guns?”

Others on Twitter called on the company to stop allowing open carry of firearms in its stores, something the company says it does in states such as Texas where open carry is legal.

Walmart does, however, already have what many gun violence prevention advocates consider strong gun safety policies that go beyond federal requirements: it doesn’t sell assault weapons, it doesn’t sell to people under 21, it requires background checks and it no longer sells toys that resemble assault rifles.

Even if it doesn’t change its policies, many think Walmart is positioned to push lawmakers to enact tighter gun restrictions.

“There’s a role to play in leadership and advocacy here,” Brown said. “Walmart’s already implemented these policies on its own … They’ve done it because they’re concerned about public safety if they don’t. So why wouldn’t they say from a national perspective, if we want people to feel safe, these steps should be taken more broadly?”

And while Walmart is a major gun seller, there are many places where people can buy guns. Brown said the company should encourage other retailers to follow its lead in implementing safe firearms sales policies.

Walmart could also play a role in educating its customers on gun safety, said Texas Gun Sense President Ed Scruggs. Especially in rural communities, Walmart stores act as de-facto community centers that Scruggs said would make them sensible homes for education programs.

“We have a problem in Texas with children and teenagers accessing firearms that are not properly stored,” Scruggs said. “They could perhaps have free courses in the store on gun safety or promote the use or trigger locks or have big sales on gun safes. To reach out to the community may seem like a small thing but they have an opportunity to reach a lot of people.”

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“You know everybody talks about thoughts and prayers going out to them. That’s great. That doesn’t really do anything,” Stack said on CNN last year. “We felt we needed to take a stand and do this.”

Public statements like these do make a difference, said Shannon Watts, founder of gun safety advocacy group Moms Demand Action. And it can be faster and easier for big corporations to enact a new policy or public position than for lawmakers to draft and pass a new law.

“To have Walmart join the coalition of companies working actively on this issue, making it a priority in their foundational platform would send a strong signal,” Watts said. “Companies have a role to play. When lawmakers don’t protect their constituents, companies have a responsibility to protect their customers.”

Walmart’s immediate focus

For now, just about 36 hours after the attack, Walmart’s policies remain the same, according to company spokesperson Randy Hargrove. Hargrove also pointed out that the company has provided quarterly active shooter trainings for all employees since 2015, and that all of the staff at the El Paso store that was targeted Saturday had been trained.

“We continue to be devastated by the loss of lives, and right now our focus is on supporting our associates, our customers and the El Paso community,” Hargrove said.