Actress Alyssa Milano was one of the many Twitter users who pleaded with Walmart to stop selling guns after the mass shooting at a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas Saturday afternoon. Many of the responses were direct replies to Walmart’s own statement on the shooting, offering prayers for the victims. The number of dead has been confirmed by authorities as 20 lives, with 26 wounded, according to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
“We’re in shock over the tragic events at Cielo Vista Mall in El Paso, where store 2201 & club 6502 are located,” Walmart’s statement read. “We’re praying for the victims, the community & our associates, as well as the first responders. We’re working closely with law enforcement & will update as appropriate.”
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“Hey, [Walmart]! This would be a great opportunity for you to take a true leadership position and stop selling guns,” Milano replied.
Milano was not alone. Many others demanded Walmart stop selling guns.
Stop selling guns.
— Benjamin Dreyer (@BCDreyer) August 3, 2019
Fuck your greed, selling guns without regulations then offering “prayers,” to mass shooting victims. Offer to pay for their funerals and their medical expenses. You’re a fucking BILLION DOLLAR COMPANY. YOU CAN AFFORD IT!😡😡😡
— And Coatlicue Said Ha (@mingarla) August 3, 2019
You sell guns. Guns killed people who currently lay dead in your store.
Your prayers, like all prayers, won’t do a damn thing. #EndGunViolence
— Danny Deraney (@DannyDeraney) August 3, 2019
But not shocked enough to stop selling guns, right? #ProfitOverLife
— Joanna Harrington (@Rumbledoll52) August 3, 2019
Walmart, the largest retailer in the U.S., has made changes to its gun sale polices in the past. After the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida in February 2018, when a 19-year-old student killed 17 people, Walmart raised the age restriction to buy guns and ammunition at its stores to 21.
The company also stopped selling modern sporting rifles, including AR-15s, in 2015. The company also only sells handguns in Alaska, according to its corporate website.
Just last month, Walmart stopped selling firearms at all its stores in New Mexico after the state expanded its background checks law to include almost all firearms, reports CBS News. Although 12 states and Washington, D.C. require background checks for all firearms at point of sale, this was the first time Walmart decided to completely stop gun sales in a state.
On Saturday, El Paso police said the suspect in the shooting is a 21-year-old white male. Media reports and NBC have identified the suspect, although police did not confirm his name. Facebook and Instagram have pulled the social media accounts matching the suspect’s name and are working with law enforcement.
“Our thoughts are with the victims and their families. Content that praises, supports or represents the shooting or anyone responsible violates our Community Standards and we will continue to remove as soon as we identify it,” a Facebook spokesperson said.
Police have not said how many victims there were, but two hospitals confirmed there were at least 22 people injured.
“You know that number keeps changing. I hate to pin down a certain number, but I think it was definitely a large number,” Paxton told CNN. “At least what I’m hearing, the reports between 15 and 20 are probably accurate.”
Photo credit: Michael S. Schwartz/Getty Images
