In the wake of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, that left 17 dead, a number of corporations, facing massive pressure, have cut their ties to the NRA. Over the last several days, United, Delta, Hertz, Alamo, MetLife, and others have ended partnerships and other programs that benefited NRA members.
On Wednesday morning, Dick’s Sporting Goods, one of the nation’s largest sporting goods stores and gun retailers, announced it would no longer sell assault rifles. “When we saw what happened in Parkland, we were so disturbed and upset,” Edward Stack, the company’s chief executive, told The New York Times. “We love these kids and their rallying cry, ‘enough is enough.’ It got to us. We’re going to take a stand and step up and tell people our view and, hopefully, bring people along into the conversation.” Stack also called on politicians to pass “common sense gun reform.”
In a statement, Dick’s revealed that the Parkland shooter, Nikolas Cruz, bought a gun from the store in November. “It was not the gun, nor type of gun, he used in the shooting. But it could have been.” Stack elaborated on the role that Cruz’s purchase played in the company’s decision on CNN’s New Day:
Dick’s also removed assault rifles from its stores following the Sandy Hook shooting that left over 20 children dead, but later quietly began selling them again. Stack insisted to the Times that this time the change would be permanent.