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Retailers are joining the fight against guns

In the wake of a mass shooting in an El Paso Wal-Mart that killed twenty people, more grocery stores and retail chains are asking customers to leave their guns at home.

On September 5th, Wal-Mart, which has long attracted criticism for its decision to sell guns in its stores, announced it would no longer sell certain types of ammunition and would end handgun sales completely. It also ended its policy of allowing customers to open-carry guns in the store. Now, CVS, Wegmans, Kroger, and Walgreens are following suit.

“The sight of someone with a gun can be alarming, and we don’t want anyone to feel that way at Wegmans,” the drugstore chain said in a statement.

“Kroger is respectfully asking that customers no longer openly carry firearms into our stores, other than authorized law enforcement officers,” Jessica Adelman, a spokesperson for Kroger grocery stores, told CNBC this week. “We are also joining those encouraging our elected leaders to pass laws that will strengthen background checks and remove weapons from those who have been found to pose a risk for violence.”

In early August, Patrick Crusius, a 21-year-old Dallas man, entered a Wal-Mart in El Paso and opened fire on people doing back-to-school shopping. Crusius purchased his guns legally and told authorities he was targeting Latinos because they were “invading” the country.