Walmart To Stop Selling Ammo In Montgomery County, Nationwide

GERMANTOWN, MD — Doug McMillon, the CEO of Walmart, announced on Tuesday that the company would stop selling certain types of ammunition that can be used in military assault rifles. The move comes in response to the shooting in the company's El Paso store last month that killed 22 people, as well as the subsequent mass shootings that occurred in Dayton, Ohio, and in Midland and Odessa, Texas.

The retailer is also "respectfully requesting" that customers no longer openly carry firearms into their stores in states where "open carry" is allowed — except if they are law enforcement officers.

Walmart made the announcement after weeks of discussing the appropriate response to the violence that occurred in El Paso on Aug. 3. The company said, "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."

Walmart announced the following changes in stores in Montgomery County, and across the nation:

• "After selling through our current inventory commitments, we will discontinue sales of short-barrel rifle ammunition such as the .223 caliber and 5.56 caliber that, while commonly used in some hunting rifles, can also be used in large capacity clips on military-style weapons."
• "We will sell through and discontinue handgun ammunition."
• "We will discontinue handgun sales in Alaska, marking our complete exit from handguns."

Montgomery County has one Walmart location. It is located at:

• 20910 Frederick Rd., Germantown

The Sept. 3 announcement comes in the wake of previously made decisions by Walmart to stop selling handguns, military-style rifles, to raise the age limit to purchase a firearm or ammunition to 21, to require a "green light" on a background check, and to only allow certain trained associates to sell firearms.

Walmart expects the action to reduce the companies market share of ammunition from around 20 percent to approximately 6 to 9 percent.

The companies concluding message was one of finding a solution for mass shootings.

"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. The status quo is unacceptable."

SEE ALSO:

• El Paso Walmart Shooting: 7 Mexican Nationals Among 22 Dead
• After Mass Shootings, Walmart Responds To Calls To End Gun Sales