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Dick’s Sporting Goods, Walmart change policies on gun sales

(WISH) — Two major companies are making statement in the gun control debate just two weeks after the school shooting in Florida.

Dick’s Sporting Goods and Walmart said Wednesday they are changing their policies on gun sales.

Both companies reviewed their policies and decided the time to act is now. Dick’s Sporting Goods announced several changes, including that it will no longer sell guns to anyone younger than 21.

Walmart followed suit later in the day and said it will do the same when it comes to guns and ammunition.

Students who survived the high school shooting in Parkland, Florida, want lawmakers to pass tougher gun laws and even started a movement to stress their message.

“We concluded that if these kids are brave enough to organize what they’re doing, then we should be brave enough to take this stand,” said Edward Stack.

The CEO of Dick’s Sporting Goods also said the company will no longer sell high-capacity magazines. Stack said the stores have never and will never sell bump stocks.

Dick’s removed assault-style rifles from their stores after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut. Stack said Wednesday Dick’s will no longer sell those kinds of guns through its subsidiary company 35 Field & Stream.

“We expect there’s going to be backlash here when you look at those kids and the parents and the grief that everyone is going through we don’t want to be part of this story any longer,” he said.

Don Perkins, owner of Bare Arms gun store in Noblesville, says his store will not be making changes.

“The beauty about capitalism is that we’re allowed in this country to do and run our businesses within certain limits that are govern by law, morality and ethics,” Perkins said.

He said if the laws by the state and federal government are changed, then his store will follow that law. But, at this time, Bare Arms won’t be making any changes.

“As always, we always hope that we never see another one of them type of shootings that we seen,” Perkins said. “I’m not sure that with gun control fixes that.”

As for Dick’s Sporting Goods, the company said it followed all rules and laws and ended up selling a shotgun to the Parkland shooting suspect. However, it was not the same gun used in the school shooting.