Walmart removes guns and ammunition displays, citing concerns of ‘civil unrest’

The company did not specify the incidents to which it was referring. But according to local media in Philadelphia, at least one Walmart store was ransacked after rioting broke out after the police shooting of Walter Wallace Jr., a Black man whose family said he was in the midst of a mental health crisis.

Gun sales have long been a hot-button issue for the Bentonville, Ark.-based retailer. Walmart stopped selling handguns and certain types of ammunition last September, after shootings at company stores left at least 24 people dead. It also began prohibiting customers from openly carrying firearms in its stores.

“It’s clear to us that the status quo is unacceptable,” CEO Doug McMillon said in a memo to employees at the time. “We know these decisions will inconvenience some of our customers, and we hope they will understand.”