Walgreens is the latest retailer to ask shoppers to leave their guns at home.
“We are joining other retailers in asking our customers to no longer openly carry firearms into our stores other than authorized law enforcement officials” the company posted on its website Thursday.
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CVS followed suit. “We join a growing chorus of businesses in requesting that our customers, other than authorized law enforcement personnel, do not bring firearms into our stores” the company tweeted.
The drugstore chains join Walmart and Kroger who earlier this week released a similar policy.
The changes come amid an effort to reduce gun violence following mass shootings in Ohio and Texas, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said in a statement to employees. In July, a disgruntled employee killed two Walmart associates and wounded a police officer at one of the company’s locations.
“We have been focused on store safety and security. We’ve also been listening to a lot of people inside and outside our company as we think about the role we can play in helping to make the country safer. It’s clear to us that the status quo is unacceptable,” McMillon said.
“We know these decisions will inconvenience some of our customers, and we hope they will understand,” McMillon said. “As a company, we experienced two horrific events in one week, and we will never be the same.”
The Kroger Co., which last year stopped selling guns and ammunition at its Fred Meyer stores in the Pacific Northwest, joined Walmart on the leave the guns at home request. “Kroger is respectfully asking that customers no longer openly carry firearms into our stores, other than authorized law enforcement officers,” Jessica Adelman, Kroger’s group vice president of corporate affairs said in a statement, “We are also joining those encouraging our elected leaders to pass laws that will strengthen background checks and remove weapons from those who have been found to pose a risk for violence.”
Full, original story: www.foxbusiness.com
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navyshooterThey can "ask" but in those states where it is constitutional, the request may be ignored or their customer base may decline.....personally, wearing it openly is just asking for a confrontation. IF the need to use a weapon arises, better
for it to be a surprise coming from you than you're being in their sights.