Walmart announced that it would remove gun and ammunition displays from its stores due to concerns about “civil unrest,” The Wall Street Journal reports.
"We have seen some isolated civil unrest and as we have done on several occasions over the last few years, we have moved our firearms and ammunition off the sales floor as a precaution for the safety of our associates and customers," a Walmart spokesman told the Journal.
The retail giant sent a letter to store managers instructing staffers to remove guns and ammunition from shelves "due to the current unrest in isolated areas of the country and out of an abundance of caution," the Journal reported.
Move comes after looting:
The move came amid protests in Philadelphia over the police killing of Walter Wallace Jr., who was fatally shot after his family called for medical assistance due to a psychological episode.
A Walmart in Port Richmond was among the stores hit hardest by looters on Tuesday.
The store was littered with torn-up boxes of ammunition after it was ransacked.
Worries over election unrest:
The move also comes amid worries about unrest following the election.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said his state is preparing for potential unrest after polls close next week. He told Politico his staff was "gaming out different scenarios and making sure that we are prepared."
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said he would send in the state National Guard in the event of unrest.
“Our planning and hope would be that we're not going to have civil unrest but if we do the National Guard's at the ready, and we won't hesitate to call them out,” he said on Thursday.
“It’s our hope and expectation that there will not be civil unrest, that we’ll have a peaceful outcome,” he added, “while it may take some time to figure out exactly where all the chips fall, that would be the expectation.”
