Outdoor retailer L.L. Bean will not longer sell firearms to customers under 21 in the wake of the Florida school shooting.
The chain joined retail giants Walmart, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Kroger in tightening restrictions on selling guns in their stores.
L.L. Bean said it only sold gun from its flagship Maine store and only stocked firearms specific to hunting and target shooting.
Outdoor retailer L.L. Bean will not longer sell firearms to customers under 21 in the wake of the Florida school shooting
Four companies have tightened restrictions or pledged to stop selling rifles like the AR-15 used to murder 17 students and teachers last month
The company did not carry assault rifles, high-capacity firearms, bump stocks, or handguns of any kind.
James Debney, chief executive of American Outdoor Brands which owns Smith & Wesson which manufactured the gun used in the shooting, expressed his grief.
‘We share the nation’s grief over this incomprehensible and senseless loss of life, and we share the desire to make our community safer,’ he said.
‘We will continue to support the development of effective solutions that accomplish that objective, while protecting the rights of the law-abiding firearm owner.’
Mr Debney said he expected gun says to be flat for the next 12 to 18 months, but didn’t expect retailer bans to have much impact.
Four companies have tightened restrictions or pledged to stop selling rifles like the AR-15 used to murder 17 students and teachers last month.
L.L. Bean said it only sold gun from its flagship Maine store and only stocked firearms specific to hunting and target shooting
Nikolas Cruz, 19, bought the gun allegedly used in the attack legally as f ederal law allows people 18 and older to purchase long guns such as rifles
Nikolas Cruz, 19, bought the gun allegedly used in the attack legally as federal law allows people 18 and older to purchase long guns such as rifles.
But Kroger said it was clear gun retail outlets must go beyond what U.S. laws require and banned those under 21 from buying firearms at its stores.
‘In response to the tragic events in Parkland and elsewhere, we’ve taken a hard look at our policies and procedures for firearm sales,’ the company said.
The company already banned the sale of assault rifles from its Fred Meyer stores in Oregon, Washington and Idaho, and will now extend that to Alaska.
New restrictions by L.L. Bean and Kroger came a day after students returned to Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, for the first time since the February 14 shooting.
On that same day, Walmart and Dick’s Sporting Goods promised to stop selling assault rifles and raise buying ages to 21.
James Debney, chief executive of American Outdoor Brands which owns Smith & Wesson which manufactured the gun used in the shooting, expressed his grief
Dick’s Sporting Goods promised to stop selling assault rifles and raise buying ages to 21
Dick’s chief executive Edward W Stack said the alleged shooter should not have been able to buy any weapons in the first place.
‘Following all of the rules and laws, we sold a shotgun to the Parkland shooter in November of 2017,’ he wrote in an open letter on the company’s website.
‘It was not the gun, nor type of gun, he used in the shooting. But it could have been.
‘Clearly this indicates on so many levels that the systems in place are not effective to protect our kids and our citizens. We believe it’s time to do something about it.
Mr Stack further explained his decision on Good Morning America, saying the systems in place were not enough to stop the sale of guns to potential mass shooters.
‘As we looked at what happened down in Parkland, we were so disturbed and saddened by what happened. We felt we really needed to do something,’ he said.
Dick’s chief executive Edward W Stack said the alleged shooter should not have been able to buy any weapons in the first place
Cruz (pictured) allegedly shot dead 14 students and three staff at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on February 14
Students are evacuated by police from the school after the shooting last month
Walmart stopped selling AR-15s and other assault weapons in 2015 and on Wednesday and would now further restrict sales.
The massive retail chain would no longer sell firearms or ammunition to anyone under 21 and would require stringent background checks for all gun sales.
‘We take seriously our obligation to be a responsible seller of firearms and go beyond federal law,’ it said.
‘We are also removing items from our website resembling assault-style rifles, including nonlethal airsoft guns and toys.
‘Our heritage as a company has always been in serving sportsmen and hunters, and we will continue to do so in a responsible way.’
Major corporations, including MetLife, Hertz and Delta Air Lines, also cut ties with National Rifle Association in response to public outrage over the Florida massacre
New restrictions by L.L. Bean and Kroger came a day after students returned to their school for the first time since the February 14 shooting.
Outdoor retailer REI also said it was halting future orders of some popular brands – including CamelBak water carriers, Giro helmets and Camp Chef stoves – whose parent company also makes ammunition and assault-style rifles.
Seattle-based REI faced mounting pressure from some customers to stop doing business with brands owned by Vista Outdoor, which also has a shooting sports division that includes Savage Arms.
The pressure included online petitions that garnered thousands of signatures.
REI said on Thursday though it did not stock guns, it expected companies that do to help prevent mass shootings.
The chain said it would ‘place a hold on future orders of products that Vista sells through REI while we assess how Vista proceeds’.
Major corporations, including MetLife, Hertz and Delta Air Lines, also cut ties with National Rifle Association since the Florida massacre.