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Walmart and Dick's raise minimum age for gun buyers to 21

Two of the nation’s leading gun sellers, Walmart and Dick’s Sporting Goods, took steps Wednesday to limit their sales of firearms, thrusting themselves into the middle of the polarizing national debate over gun violence.

The retailer also said that it would no longer sell high-capacity magazines and that it would not sell any gun to anyone under 21 years of age, regardless of local laws.

Walmart, the nation’s leading gun seller, said late Wednesday that it, too, would require any gun buyer to be at least 21. It also said it would no longer sell items resembling assault-style rifles, including toys and air guns.

Under federal law, a person must be at least 21 to buy a handgun from a firearms dealer. But 18-year-olds can buy semi-automatic rifles and other firearms.

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The dual announcements, made two weeks after 17 students and staff members were killed in the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, were among the most significant actions taken on guns by corporate America.

Also Wednesday, President Donald Trump met at the White House with a bipartisan group of lawmakers and called for a series of gun control measures, some of which the National Rifle Association has opposed.

Walmart and Dick’s acted after a number of major companies moved last week to dissociate themselves from the NRA. Hertz car rental, MetLife insurance and Delta Air Lines, among others, publicly ended their relationships with the organization.

In a news release Wednesday, Walmart noted that in 2015 it discontinued the sale of high-powered rifles, including AR-15-style weapons, in its U.S. stores. At the time, Walmart had attributed its decision to lower customer demand for the military-style rifles.

This time, Walmart directly linked its action to the shooting in Florida, saying, “In light of recent events, we’ve taken an opportunity to review our policy on firearm sales.”

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Walmart sells guns in fewer than half of its roughly 4,000 supercenters, the company said, but the sheer scale of its customer base gives its decision significant heft.

Dick’s decision was announced by Edward Stack, the chief executive whose father founded the company.

“When we saw what happened in Parkland, we were so disturbed and upset,” Stack said in an interview. “We love these kids and their rallying cry, ‘Enough is enough.’ It got to us.”

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

JULIE CRESWELL and MICHAEL CORKERY © 2018 The New York Times

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