On the same day Dick's Sporting Goods announced it would no longer carry assault rifles, Walmart said on Wednesday that it is raising the minimum age to purchase a firearm from 18 to 21.
The announcement comes two weeks after a 19-year-old confessed gunman took the lives of 17 people at a high school in Parkland, Florida. The massacre has since reignited a national debate on gun control. It has also caused a number of companies, most notably Delta Airlines and Enterprise Rental Cars, to end its support of the National Rifle Association.
Walmart said it will begin enforcing the new rule as soon as possible.
The company said the rule is one of many Walmart has implemented that goes beyond federal gun laws.
"We take seriously our obligation to be a responsible seller of firearms and go beyond Federal law by requiring customers to pass a background check before purchasing any firearm," Walmart said in a press release. "The law would allow the sale of a firearm if no response to a background check request has been received within three business days, but our policy prohibits the sale until an approval is given."
Walmart added that in 2015, it stopped selling some assault rifles, including AR-15s. Walmart added that it does not carry bump stocks, high-capacity magazines and similar accessories.
