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DICK'S Sporting Goods changes gun policies after Parkland shooting

Posted at 6:53 PM, Feb 28, 2018
and last updated 2018-02-28 19:53:55-05

A major sports retailer with stores in the Milwaukee area is changing its policy on selling guns.

DICK'S Sporting Goods will stop selling all assault-style weapons. The retailer also said Wednesday it will not be selling high-capacity magazines or selling guns to people who are under 21 years old.

DICK'S Sporting Goods CEO Edward W. Stack said he made the decision in response to the Parkland school shooting. Those supporting Stack's stance told TODAY'S TMJ4 they think other gun stores and retailers should follow suit. 

"Too many people have been getting killed by those guns and I think they should pull them off the shelves," said Jerold Jackson of Milwaukee.

Back in November, a DICK'S Sporting Goods store legally sold a shotgun to the Parkland shooter, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz.

"It was not the gun, nor type of gun, he used in the shooting. But it could have been," Stack said in a statement to media.

Robert Handsh is the owner of Wisconsin Tactical, a custom firearms shop in Waukesha. He doesn't believe one retailer's stance will make a difference in the long run.

"If that's what they want to do then they can do that," Handsh said.

Handsh said he doesn't plan to follow DICK'S Sporting Goods' lead, especially when it comes to the minimum age of purchasing guns.

"I'm going to say no, because there's a lot of firearms out there intended for hunting or training or sports that, there are a lot of participants under the age of 21," he said.

Handsh describes himself as pro-gun and a second amendment supporter. However, Handsh said he was moved by the Parkland shooting after having difficulty trying to explain what happened to his young daughters.

"It made me reconsider some stances, especially if we're going to be needlessly taking children's lives," he said.

This isn't the first time DICK'S Sporting Goods has made gun policy changes in response to a school shooting. According to the CEO's statement, DICK'S Sporting Goods' main stores removed assault-style rifles from its main stores after the Sandy Hook tragedy in 2012.

Late Wednesday afternoon, Walmart announced it will stop selling guns to people under the age of 21 as well.