Texas based Academy Sports and Outdoors has pulled “modern sporting rifles” from the shelves of their 200 stores in response to the terror attack in Orlando. It is also reported that they will begin tracking personal information from individuals that purchase large amounts of ammunition.
“We got the call from corporate just before close to take the rifles off of display, only after all customers have left for the night. MSR’s are still for sale, but will not be displayed “for about a week or two,” a store manager who wished to remain unnamed told Reddit blogger, “Potato_Muncher.
The move was said to be out of respect for those who were killed and injured in the Islamic terrorist attack in Orlando where the shooter used an AR-15 style rifle to carry out the attack.
Academy stores have been visited and it has been verified that store employees were directed to take the rifles down from the display shelves. The rifles were stocked in locked racks under the display shelves and were readily available if a customer wanted to look at them or purchase them.
Another online firearms website, TheFirearmBlog.com, reported the sporting goods retailer’s store employees were notified to begin gathering personal information on people purchasing more than 10 boxes of “assault rifle caliber” ammunition. The personal information will reportedly be put into a company database.
A search of the company’s online store revealed the semi-automatic .223 caliber rifles were no longer listed.
The sporting goods retailer is taking other steps as well by removing items that look like the rifles. A store employee told the blogsite that they were told to remove “sporting rifle lighters and other gifts.” Additionally, airsoft and BB guns that look like the AR-15 style rifles will also be pulled from the stores.