Walmart announced Tuesday it will end the sale of handgun ammunition, a decision that comes as the retail giant faced pressure to curb gun and ammunition sales in the wake of a shooting at its store in El Paso, Texas.
In an open letter to Walmart associates, CEO Doug McMillon said that the store plans to discontinue sales of short-barrel rifle ammunition and no longer sell handgun ammunition. The Bentonville, Arkansas-based retailer will also no longer sell handguns at its stores in Alaska, marking a complete exit from the handgun market.
Additionally, Walmart is asking its customers to no longer openly carry guns in its stores or in Sam’s Clubs where open carry is allowed under state law.
“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 move by Walmart comes after 22 people were killed when a gunman opened fire at one of its stores in El Paso. Days prior to the massacre, a disgruntled Walmart employee in Mississippi shot and killed two other associates.
After the rampage in El Paso, 2020 Democratic presidential hopefuls and gun control groups urged Walmart to stop selling all firearms and ammunition, though the retailer refrained from changing its firearm policies in the days following the attack.
During a call with investors last month, McMillon noted Walmart makes up roughly 2% of the nation’s firearms market and sells about 20% of the country’s ammunition. The decision to stop selling handgun ammunition will reduce Walmart’s market share to between 6% and 9%.
“In a complex situation lacking a simple solution, we are trying to take constructive steps to reduce the risk that events like these will happen again,” McMillon said. “The status quo is unacceptable.”
McMillon also urged policymakers to strengthen background checks and ensure weapons are not in the hands of those who pose an imminent danger.
“As we’ve seen before, these horrific events occur and then the spotlight fades. We should not allow that to happen,” he wrote. “Congress and the administration should act.”
Walmart stopped selling assault-style rifles in 2015 and does not sell handguns. Last year, after the shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida, the retailer raised the minimum age to purchase a firearm from 18 to 21.
