Walmart is known for its abundance of products and accessibility. Due to the recent shooting that occurred mid-February in Parkland, Florida, Walmart has decided to raise age restrictions on firearm and ammunition purchases from 18 to 21. Along with these new restrictions, Walmart has also began to remove items that resemble assault rifles from their website, including toys, airsoft guns, or something else.

This change has mostly occurred due to the tragedy in Florida. Walmart has announced that they will continue to sell hunting rifles and will still continue to sell handguns in places they already do such as Alaska. Other companies such as Dick’s Sporting Goods  have also  raised their  age restrictions to 21.

Gun control and regulation is a topic of heavy debate and has only become more popular due to the recent gun related events. There are many different viewpoints regarding the issue and some find it strange that firearms are purchasable in a big chain like Walmart. “I go to Walmart for food and stuff. I don’t think you should be able to buy guns at a place that’s so popular” said Nain Galo ‘18. Some people have a more lax attitude on the event. “I believe that if you want to buy a gun, and can do so legally, you should be able to do so even in a Walmart” said Miguel Estrada ‘18.

“They might be doing this for good publicity, but I still feel like it’s the right thing to do” says Gary Li ‘18. Whether you are for or against more restrictions on guns, the impact these events are very real and corporations making moves like these are evidence of it.