Former Rare Staff
The chairman and CEO of Dick’s Sporting Goods, the largest sporting goods retailer in America, announced early Wednesday that the company will no longer sell assault weapons, no longer sell high-capacity magazines and no longer sell guns to a person under the age of 21.
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Chairman and CEO of Dick's Sporting Goods tells @GStephanopoulos why the company has decided to no longer sell assault style rifles or firearms to anyone under 21 years of age, and no longer sell high capacity magazines. pic.twitter.com/xiuMfqIZLd
— Good Morning America (@GMA) February 28, 2018
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Edward Stack appeared on “Good Morning America” with George Stephanolpoulos and said that the deadly shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. directly influenced the decision.
“As we looked at what happened down in Parkland, we were so disturbed and saddened by what happened, we felt we really needed to do something,” the chairman and CEO said.
Stack explained that the company made the decision in no small part because the Parkland shooter, Nikolas Cruz, had purchased a shotgun at a Dick’s store in November.
“When that happened we realized that the system — and we did everything by the book, we did everything that the law required — and still he was able to buy a gun,” Stack said.
When asked if there was any chance the company would reverse this, Stack replied, “Never.”
Dick’s Sporting Goods also released statements on Twitter.
We at DICK'S Sporting Goods are deeply disturbed and saddened by the tragic events in Parkland. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of the victims and their loved ones. https://t.co/J4OcB6XJnu pic.twitter.com/WmT50BO7mx
— DICK'S Sporting Goods (@DICKS) February 28, 2018
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
We deeply believe that this country's most precious gift is our children. They are our future. We must keep them safe. Beginning today, DICK'S Sporting Goods is committed to the following: https://t.co/J4OcB6XJnu pic.twitter.com/BaTJ9LaCYe
— DICK'S Sporting Goods (@DICKS) February 28, 2018
At the same time, we implore our elected officials to enact common sense gun reform and pass the following regulations: https://t.co/J4OcB6XJnu pic.twitter.com/VUuFKkyk6c
— DICK'S Sporting Goods (@DICKS) February 28, 2018
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Stack also wrote in a letter Wednesday that the decision does not mean that the company doesn’t support the Second Amendment.
“We support and respect the Second Amendment, and we recognize and appreciate that the vast majority of gun owners in this country are responsible, law-abiding citizens,” he wrote, according to the Associated Press. “But 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.”
The company urged lawmakers to “enact common sense gun reform” and ban assault-style weapons, raise the gun-purchasing age to 21, ban bump stocks and high-capacity magazines, create a universal database of people barred from buying a gun, require mental health screenings and police encounter background checks and close the “gun show loophole.”
