Walmart says it will not stop selling guns and ammunition following the mass shooting at its store in El Paso, Texas, which left 20 people dead and 26 injured.
The retailer said that there is no plan of changing its retail and security practices in the wake of the tragedy.
‘Our focus has always been on being a responsible seller of firearms,’ company spokesman Randy Hargrove said in an interview with Bloomberg.
‘We go beyond federal law requiring all customers to pass a background check before purchasing any firearm.’
Hargrove said that in 2015 Walmart stopped selling military-style semi-automatic rifles, which he referred to as ‘modern sporting rifles.’
He also told Bloomberg that Walmart removed air gun or toy that might resemble assault weapons, he said.
Walmart set a rule last year, by raising the minimum age on gun purchases from 18 to 21. The world’s biggest retailer, as policy, does not break out data on gun sales.
The shooting occurred at a Walmart store which had required every employee receive ‘active shooter’ training, said, Hargrove. The training, in partnership with Texas State University, is given four times a year.
‘There’s not been any directive to any stores around the country to change any policy,’ he said.
‘We’re focused on supporting our associates, customers, and the entire El Paso community.’
Reportedly, 20 people were killed and 26 were injured at the El Paso store in a 20-minute attack.
A gunman, identified by police as Patrick Crusius, 21, opened fire on the store, and the surveillance video shows a man believed to be Crusius walking in through the front entrance of the Cielo Vista Mall Walmart with an AK47-styled assault rifle.
He then walked through the front door very confidently, as if he was ‘on a mission,’ a witness said.