Dick's Sporting Goods bans some gun sales, urges Congress to act

By Susan Heavey and Nandita Bose

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Dick's Sporting Goods Inc said on Wednesday it will permanently stop selling assault-style rifles after the massacre at a Florida high school that has reopened a fierce debate over gun control in America.

The U. S. retailer of camping supplies, sporting goods and guns will also stop selling high-capacity magazines and will not sell any guns to people under age 21, Dick's Chief Executive Ed Stack said in an open letter on the company's website.

The announcement came as classes resumed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where 17 people, mostly students, were killed two weeks ago in one of the deadliest U. S. mass shootings.

The accused gunman, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, legally purchased a weapon at Dick's in November, although not the type used in the shooting, Stack said. Cruz, a former student at Stoneman Douglas, is accused of using an AR-15 assault-style weapon to carry out the killing.

The massacre spurred a youth-led wave of protests, and state and national officials are considering whether to pass stricter gun control measures. The powerful National Rifle Association traditionally opposes such curbs, citing the right to bear arms under the U. S. Constitution's Second Amendment.

Dick's removed assault-style weapons from its Dick's-branded stores after the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut that killed 20 young children and six adults, but continued selling them through another brand. Wednesday's move takes them out of its 35 Field & Stream outlets as well, Stack said, adding the measure would be permanent.

Some analysts said the 2012 decision did not hurt the retailer's sales, likely giving company executives confidence to make Wednesday's move.

Stack said in his letter the large sporting goods retailer respects the Second Amendment and law-abiding gun owners but was obliged to address a national gun epidemic that is killing too many children.

After the Parkland shooting, it was clear there were not enough systemic protections to prevent gun sales to people who are potential threats, Stack said, adding Congress should tighten background checks to include relevant mental health information.

Stack said he knew the decision would upset some customers, but he cited the passionate response by the students and families in Parkland.

"We have heard you," he said.

Dick's, based in Pennsylvania, was the latest company to take action after the Florida shooting.

Other businesses have cut ties with the NRA and gun manufacturers.

The largest U. S. retailer, Walmart Inc , said it had stopped selling assault style firearms, bump stocks, other assault style accessories and magazines for such products since 2015. The sales of such items are also prohibited on the retailer's online marketplace, where third-party vendors list products for sale, spokesman Randy Hargrove said.

He did not comment on whether the retailer planned to change any gun sales policies at its stores after the Florida shooting.

Amazon.com Inc , the world's largest online retailer, has long prohibited the sale of firearms and explosives on its websites, as well as ammunition and gun accessories in most cases. It declined comment on the issue on Wednesday.

EBay said its policy prohibits the sale of firearms and high-capacity magazines of more than 10 rounds.

Since the Florida shooting, gun-control supporters have called on Amazon as well as Roku, Apple Inc and others to drop the National Rifle Association's programming from their streaming services.

Outdoor goods retailer Bass Pro Shops, which acquired Cabelas Inc last year and sells guns under both retail brands, did not respond to requests for comment.

Package delivery company FedEx Corp declined to comment on whether it would change its firearms shipping policy after the Florida shooting, while rival United Parcel Service Inc said it was not changing its policies.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey in Washington and Nandita Bose in New York; Additional reporting by Jeffrey Dastin in San Francisco and Eric Johnson in Seattle; Editing by Frances Kerry and Ben Klayman)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)