Moms Demand Action, Everytown Applaud Dick’s Sporting Goods for Changing its Policies on Gun Sales Following the Parkland School Shooting
2.28.2018
Dick’s Sporting Goods Announced Today That It Will No Longer Sell Assault Rifles and High Capacity Magazines, and Will No Longer Sell Firearms to Those Under 21; Company Also Promises to Never Sell Bump Stocks
NEW YORK – Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a part of Everytown, today applauded Dick’s Sporting Goods for its decision to take steps beyond what’s legally required to be a responsible gun dealer. Dick’s has committed to no longer selling assault rifles and high capacity magazines, as well as promising to never sell bump stocks. The company has also announced that it will no longer sell guns to those under 21 years of age.
The policy change is in response to calls for common sense from survivors of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that killed seventeen students and educators and wounded fourteen. The decision follows dozens of major corporations to cut ties with the NRA in recent days, including Chubb, MetLife and Hertz.
STATEMENT FROM JOHN FEINBLATT, PRESIDENT OF EVERYTOWN FOR GUN SAFETY:
“We commend Dick’s Sporting Goods for taking steps that our lawmakers have failed to take to protect public safety. It’s a testament to how much the gun debate has changed since the devastating shooting in Parkland that major gun retailers like Dick’s are willing to act, and we encourage other retailers to follow its lead.”
STATEMENT FOR SHANNON WATTS, FOUNDER OF MOMS DEMAND ACTION FOR GUN SENSE IN AMERICA:
“This is the moment when business leaders across the country get to decide if they want to stand on the right side of history. Mothers make the majority of spending decisions for their families, and we want to shop with businesses that care about the safety of our families – making this a smart business move, too. Dick’s Sporting Goods should be applauded for this decision and its willingness to proactively change its policies on this issue.”
Moms Demand Action has a history of working with national businesses to prioritize gun safety. Past campaigns have gathered hundreds of thousands of supporters to successfully persuade corporate giants like Starbucks, Target, Chipotle, Sonic, Chili’s, and Jack in the Box to publicly announce gun sense policies for their national storefronts. Moms Demand Action volunteers also played a pivotal role in getting Safeway and Albertsons, the country’s second largest grocery chain, to clarify their company-wide policy prohibiting firearms in their stores. Moms Demand Action and Everytown were also instrumental in Facebook’s decision to end all unlicensed gun sales on its platforms. More information on Moms Demand Action’s corporate campaigns is available here.