Walmart Will Raise Minimum Age for Buying Firearms and Ammunition to 21

In a statement released Wednesday, Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, announced it would raise the minimum age required to buy firearms and ammunition from 18 to 21.

“In light of recent events,” the statement reads, “we’ve taken an opportunity to review our policy on firearm sales. Going forward, we are raising the age restriction for purchase of firearms and ammunition to 21 years of age. We will update our processes as quickly as possible to implement this change.”

Walmart also announced it was ending web sales of items that resemble assault rifles, like airsoft guns and toys (the company ended sales of sporting rifles, including the AR-15, in 2015).

Earlier on Wednesday, Dick’s Sporting Goods, one of the largest sporting goods retailers in the country, announced it was ending sales of assault-style weapons and high capacity magazines, and requiring customers purchasing firearms to be at least 21 years of age, effective immediately.

As Walmart’s statement implies and common sense dictates, these changes were no doubt implemented in response to the enormous, organized uproar in the wake of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida two weeks ago that left 17 people dead, murdered with an AR-15-style rifle.