Dick's Sporting Goods Stops Selling Assault Rifles
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NEW YORK (CBSMiami) - Dick's Sporting Goods, a Fortune 500 company, has joined the fray over gun control. The store that sells guns and ammo won't be selling as much now.
"We were so saddened by what happened in Parkland that we said 'we need to do something,'" said Dick's Chairman and CEO, Edward Stack, in a CNN interview Wednesday.
Earlier, Stack had tweeted: "Our thoughts and prayers are with all of the victims and their loved ones. But thoughts and prayers are not enough."
But thoughts and prayers are not enough. 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. https://t.co/J4OcB6XJnu pic.twitter.com/6VoKwJe8tH
— DICK'S Sporting Goods (@DICKS) February 28, 2018
On Twitter, Dick's announced it will not sell assault rifles, sell no firearms of any kind to anyone under 21, will sell no high-capacity ammo magazines, and no bump stocks that can make guns fully automatic.
Dick's stopped selling assault rifles after the Sandy Hook school massacre but has now expanded that to include its Field and Stream stores.
Dicks will lobby Congress and the states to make its policy law, including a total ban on assault rifles.
The passion of young people demonstrating for gun control prompted the chain to make a move that it knows might cost it the business of some gun rights advocates.
"We concluded that if these kids are brave enough to organize and do what they're doing, then we should be brave enough to take a stand, and that's what we've done," Stack said.
On the web, mostly positive posts followed the company's announcement. "Dick's has a new customer! Thank you for being sane and sensible," one writer said on the company's Facebook page. But another post read "I hope your employees enjoy their layoffs when your bottom line is destroyed."
But Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter Jaime was murdered at Stoneman Douglas, called the company a champion.
"I couldn't be happier. Thank you and congratulations. What a step!" Guttenberg exclaimed.
At a Dick's in Coral Springs, not far from the high school, customers were giving the company kudos.
"Fantastic. I'm glad to see a company stand up and do the right thing," said Michael Goita.
Sue Parillal said she came to the store to buy something as a direct result of its stand in favor of an assault rifle ban.
"I like that. I wish the government would take that into consideration and be as brave to do that," Parillal said.
Stack revealed Wednesday that the Stoneman Douglas shooter, Nikolas Cruz, bought a firearm from one of the company's stores in November, but he said it was not the weapon used in the high school shooting and not the same type of weapon.
