Kroger announced Tuesday it will no longer permit customers to openly carry firearms, even in states where it is legal.
This marks a 180 degree policy shift for the grocer, which made news in 2015 by announcing Kroger stores would honor laws of the states and communities in which each store was located.
At that time, Kroger CFO Michael Schlotman told CNBC gun control groups were pressuring the grocer to ban open carry, however, the grocer was pledging to operate in light of the law: “If the local gun laws are to allow open carry, we’ll certainly allow customers to do that based on what the local laws are. We don’t believe it’s up to us to legislate what the local gun control laws should be. It’s up to the local legislators to decide to do that.”
But on Tuesday, September 3, 2019, Reuters reported Kroger’s announcement customers are being asked to discontinue openly carrying firearms.
Kroger vice president of corporate affairs Jennifer Adelman said, “Kroger is respectfully asking that customers no longer openly carry firearms into our stores, other than authorized law enforcement officers.”
Kroger is also urging Congress to pass more gun control. Adelman said, “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.”
Walmart also banned open carry Tuesday, prohibited the sale of ammunition for AR-15s and AK-47s, ended the sale of handguns in Alaska, and said it would send letters to the White House asking for more gun control.
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.