Dick’s Sporting Goods Chairman and CEO Edward Stack isn’t waiting for members of Congress to move on banning assault rifles. Stack told Good Morning America he is banning sales of assault rifles in all of his stores in the wake of the Florida school shooting.
Stack announced the company policy on Wednesday morning, before explaining his decision on Good Morning America.
“We will no longer sell assault-style rifles, also referred to as modern sporting rifles. We had already removed them from all Dick’S stores after the Sandy Hook massacre, but we will now remove them from sale at all 35 Field & Stream stores.”
He added: “We will no longer sell firearms to anyone under 21 years of age.”
School shooter Nikolas Cruz, 19, managed to purchase an AR-15 and high capacity magazines even though he had a history of violence and mental illness.
Stack acknowledged that Cruz purchased a shotgun from a Dick’s store in November — after is mother, Lynda Cruz, died of pneumonia on Nov. 1.
“It wasn’t the type of gun that he used in the shooting but when that happened, we realized that the system — and we did everything by the book — and still he was able to buy a gun,” Stack told Good Morning America.
He added: “When we looked at that we said the systems that are in place across the board just aren’t effective enough to keep us from selling a gun to a person like that.”
That’s when Stack decided to remove assault rifles from all Field & Stream stores as well.
“We hope others join us in this effort to let our kids know that their pleas are being taken seriously,” he said.
On Tuesday, Florida lawmakers voted to allow teachers to carry guns inside classrooms.
