Walmart Institutes New Policy on Guns & Ammo; Erie Residents React

Walmart is instituting a new policy on guns and ammunition. The new policy comes after two shooting tragedies this summer on store properties in Mississippi and Texas.

When announcing the new policy, CEO Doug McMillon said the company thought a lot about the role it can play in helping to make the country safer.  He said the status quo is unacceptable.

Walmart is discontinuing the sales of short barrel rifle ammo that can be used with military style weapons.  It also will discontinue the sale of handgun ammo. It will discontinue the sale of handguns in Alaska, the last state in which it sells handguns.
   

Walmart is also asking shoppers to no longer wear firearms inside their stores in states which have open carry laws.  There will be no policy change for customers with concealed weapon permits.
   

Will this new policy have an impact?   Here's what some people in Erie’s Perry Square had to say this morning.

ADAM GEER-ERIE-"I think regardless of what Walmart does, if there's been problems with shootings as there has been in the past, I really doubt that the store that sells ammunition has anything to do with whether these things are going to continue to happen or not."

WILLIAM FRY SR.-ERIE-"A bullet is a bullet.  Either way it's going to hurt somebody or kill somebody. So what's the difference whether it's a shotgun, a rifle, or a handgun.  Either way, it is what it is.”

EINO RANTAMAKI-ERIE-"I don't really know if it's going to be a good thing or a bad thing.  But it's not going to prevent violence. A criminal is always going to find something or somewhere to get what they need to do the crime."

KELLY OCASIO-ERIE-"They're protecting their employees but that doesn't necessarily stop anybody from coming in and shooting in the parking lot. They're only stopping what happens inside.  They're not stopping what happens outside."

MELI NEISHKA-ERIE-"Not everyone is going to follow the rules.  And not everyone is going to agree with it.  They probably would go against it."

GEORGIANA ELY-ERIE-"Yeah, it's a step in the right direction, but we definitely need much more gun control in this country.  It's a gun crazy culture in this country."