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Walmart stores have removed guns and ammunition from sales floors in some cities where violent protests have occurred, according to a Business Insider report.
Even though the weapons and ammunition are not on display, Walmart officials said the items can still be purchased, Walmart officials said.
"As a responsible seller of hunting and sporting firearms, we have temporarily removed firearms and ammunition from the sales floor in some stores out of an abundance of caution," a Walmart spokesperson told Newsweek. "Those items are available for purchase, but are being stored in a secure room."
Protesters demanding justice for the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died in Minneapolis Police custody on May 25, have taken to the streets in cities across the U.S.
Many of the protests have erupted into violence and looting of businesses and retailers, including Walmart stores.
In a press release issued on May 29, Walmart President and CEO Doug McMillon expressed his sympathy for the heartbreaking events in New York and Minneapolis, in relation to the protest that erupted after George Floyd, an unarmed black man, died in police custody.
"At a time when our response to the COVID-19 crisis has brought out the best in us, what took place earlier this week is further proof we must remain vigilant in standing together against racism and discrimination," McMillon said. "Doing so is not only at the heart of the values of our company, it's at the core of the most basic principles of human rights, dignity, and justice."
The world's largest retailer has traditionally taken a stand against gun violence, particularly after occurrences of mass shootings in recent years.
In 2015, Walmart announced an end to sales of the popular AR-15 semiautomatic rifle and other sporting rifles in all their stores.
Three years later, Walmart announced it was changing its policy on gun sales and would allow purchases to anyone under the age of 21 years old.
"We take seriously our obligation to be a responsible seller of firearms and go beyond Federal law by requiring customers to pass a background check before purchasing any firearm," Walmart announced in a February 2018 statement. "The law would allow the sale of a firearm if no response to a background check request has been received within three business days, but our policy prohibits the sale until an approval is given."
Walmart also does not sell handguns, bump stocks, high-capacity magazines, or toys resembling assault-style rifles, including nonlethal airsoft guns.
Last year, Walmart barred customers from openly carrying firearms in its stores, and also discontinued the sale of rifle ammunition after a mass shooting occurred at a store in El Paso, Texas, in August 2019.
