Dick’s Sporting Goods to Ban Sale of Assault Rifles

On Feb. 28, Dick’s Sporting Goods CEO and Chairman Edward Stack appeared on “Good Morning America” to announce that the company is banning the sale of assault-style rifles in all stores.

These types of guns will be taken out of stores altogether— permanently. Assault weapons were taken out of Dick’s Sporting Goods stores after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, but were then put back in the company’s Field & Stream affiliated stores, where they remained until Stack took action. Dick’s Sporting Goods will now refuse to sell guns to anyone under the age of 21. The company will also discontinue the sale of high capacity magazines. Stack also reported that the company has never sold bump stocks (to make semi-automatic weapons fully-automatic) and will never sell them.

Stack explained that Parkland shooting suspect Nikolas Cruz had purchased an assault weapon from Dick’s Sporting Goods in 2017. It was not the actual gun used in the attack or even the same model, but it was still purchased by a young individual who later completed one of the most deadly massacres in history.

“We did everything by the book,” Stack said. He explained that all federal laws were followed by employees and by Cruz when he bought the gun.

“The systems that are in place across the board just aren’t effective enough to keep us from selling someone a gun like that,” Stack later said.

He then went on to challenge government officials to move toward more structured gun laws that will prevent future tragedies like the Parkland shooting. Stack made statements to acknowledge the company’s support of Second Amendment rights, but transitioned into a call to action.

“We support and respect the Second Amendment, and we recognize and appreciate that the vast majority of gun owners in this country are responsible, law-abiding citizens,”  Stack said in a previously written letter. “But we have to help solve the problem that’s in front of us. Gun violence is an epidemic that’s taking the lives of too many people, including the brightest hope for the future of America —our kids.”

The letter was frequently referenced in the “Good Morning America” interview as it truly sums up the thoughts and beliefs of the CEO of Dick’s Sporting Goods.

This interview is yet another call to action for our government to finally move toward more stringent gun regulation in this country. Despite the government failing to reform these laws, companies are beginning to take matters into their own hands. Dick’s Sporting Goods is just one of many big corporations attempting to do their part in the movement toward gun safety.