Assault Weapon Sales End At Dick's Sporting Goods

Dick's Sporting Goods, the nation's largest sporting goods retailer, is halting sales of selling assault-style weapons like the one used in the Parkland, Florida, high school shooting. Dick’s also no longer will sell firearms to anyone under the age of 21 and is stopping the sale of high capacity magazines, the company said on Wednesday.

The store has multiple locations in Illinois, including stores in Joliet, Yorkville, Springfield, Champaign, and Peoria. Wednesday's announcement is the second time since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012 that the sporting goods chain has made the pledge to stop selling assault-style weapons. But a few months after discontinuing assault-style rifle sales from its main retail stores, the company began carrying the firearms at its outdoor and hunting Field & Stream stores.

This time the company says the decision is permanent.

“We support and respect the Second Amendment, and we recognize and appreciate that the vast majority of gun owners in this country are responsible, law-abiding citizens,” Edward Stack, Dick’s chairman and CEO said in a statement. “But we have to help solve the problem that’s in front of us. Gun violence is an epidemic that’s taking the lives of too many people, including the brightest hope for the future of America – our kids.”

Stack acknowledged that Dick's in November legally sold a shotgun to accused Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz.

"It was not the gun, nor type of gun, he used in the shooting," Stack said. "But it could have been."

Following the Parkland massacre in which 17 people died, survivors of the shooting have successfully lobbied more than a dozen companies - including Hertz, Delta and United - to sever ties with the National Rifle Association. They also have pushed strongly for stricter gun control regulation.

Walmart followed suit Wednesday by saying it won't sell guns to anyone under age 21 and that it will pull items like toys resembling AR-15s off store shelves.

Dick's called on elected officials to enact what it termed "common sense gun reform" and ban assault-style firearms; raise the minimum age to purchase firearms to 21; ban high-capacity magazines and bump stocks and require universal background checks that include relevant mental health information and previous interactions with the law.

In Illinois, new legislation named in honor of slain Chicago Police Cmdr. Paul Bauer calls for gun law reform, including banning the sale of body armor and high-capacity ammunition magazines to anyone except police officers, licensed security guards and members of the military. The Paul Bauer Act would also require Illinois gun dealers to be licensed.

"I am all for Americans who have legal rights to own firearms only, but you can not convince me that high-capacity magazines are needed in the city," said Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson. "As a legal gun owner, you can't convince me you need an AR-15 in the streets of Chicago, you just won't convince me of those things."

The Illinois House was expected to vote on five different measures to restrict firearm sales and address mental health issues on Wednesday. Meanwhile, a school district in downstate Illinois says it wants to be the first to have trained, armed teachers in its schools.

As of October 2017, there were approximately 715 Dick's locations across the country. Field & Stream has 35 stores across the country, including a Champaign location.

Photo: Scott Olson, Getty Images.

By Eric Heyl, Patch Staff

Amber Fisher, Patch Staff, contributed