Walmart continues to sell assault rifles despite tragedy in Newtown

A .223-caliber Bushmaster AR-15 assault rifle, like the one
used in the murder of children in Newtown, and sold by
Walmart stores

On December 14, 2012, a mentally ill young man, Adam Lanza, killed his mother in Newtown, Connecticut, and then proceeded to the Sandy Hook Elementary School, where he murdered 20 young children and 6 staff and teachers.  He was armed with a .223-caliber Bushmaster AR-15 semi-auto assault rifle, which he either exclusively or primarily used to shoot each of the victims multiple times, and two handguns, as well as wearing body armor, before shooting himself to death with a handgun.

Five days later, and after an announcement by President Obama that he would see stronger gun regulation and a renewed assault weapons ban, sales of semi-auto rifles, particularly the model used by Lanza, have skyrocketed, along with large-capacity ammo clips like he had used.

Unlike national sports retailer, Dick's, which pulled all of its assault rifles from its stock, Walmart announced that it will continue to sell assault weapons, including the Bushmaster models, and is having a thriving sale.  Such weapons are selling out in many of their stores.

From an article:

Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, said yesterday that it would continue to sell guns, including rifles like the one used at Newtown, where 26 people, most of them children, were killed on Dec. 14. By contrast, Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc. (DKS) suspended sales of similar guns at its more than 500 stores. 

Searches of five kinds of semi-automatic rifles on Wal- Mart’s website showed them to be out of stock at stores in five states, including Pennsylvania, Kansas and Alabama. Wal-Mart doesn’t sell guns online, instead asking customers to input a zip code to see if their local store carries a specific weapon. 

“We remain dedicated to the safe and responsible sale of firearms in areas of the country where they are sold,” David Tovar, a spokesman for Wal-Mart, said yesterday. He didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on this story. 

Wal-Mart has about 10 modern sporting rifles, the gun industry’s term for firearms that look like an M-16 military rifle, listed on its website. The retailer removed a description and picture of the Bushmaster AR-15, which was the model used in Newtown, after the shootings. 

In 2006, Wal-Mart reduced the number and variety of guns it offered in stores, and replaced them with more upscale products such as exercise equipment. It then reintroduced firearms to many stores in April 2011 as part of strategy to add merchandise back to shelves and revive sales growth at its Wal-Mart locations in the U.S.

Walmart.  Save money.  Die faster.