Following Florida school shooting, Dick's Sporting Goods stops selling assault-style rifles

On the same day Parkland shooting survivors returned to school, Dick's Sporting Goods announced they will immediately stop selling assault-style weapons and high capacity magazines.

Dick's CEO Edward Stack released an open letter this morning stating the company will not only stop dealing assault-style rifles, like the one used in the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, but they'll also require gun customers to be over the age of 21, and no longer sell high-capacity magazines.

"We at Dick’s Sporting Goods are deeply disturbed and saddened by the tragic events in Parkland. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of the victims and their loved ones. But thoughts and prayers are not enough," said Stack in the statement.

"Beginning today, Dick’s Sporting Goods is committed to the following: We will no longer sell assault-style rifles, also referred to as modern sporting rifles. We had already removed them from all Dick’s stores after the Sandy Hook massacre, but we will now remove them from sale at all 35 Field & Stream stores. We will no longer sell firearms to anyone under 21 years of age. We will no longer sell high capacity magazines. We never have and never will sell bump stocks that allow semi-automatic weapons to fire more rapidly."

Dick's new policy comes after it was learned the suspect behind the mass murder of 17 people in Parkland bought his shotgun at Dick's in 2017. However, it was not the gun used in the massacre.

In an unprecedented move, Stack also put pressure on lawmakers to follow his lead and also raise the minimum age to purchase firearms, ban high capacity magazines and bump stocks, require universal background checks that include relevant mental health information, and to close the private sale and gun show loophole.

Locally, Dick's move away from assault-style weapons, drew praise from the Pride Fund to End Gun Violence. "When lawmakers won’t act, it’s up to private citizens and responsible businesses to do the right thing. We applaud Dick’s Sporting Goods for its sensible steps to keep assault weapons off our streets and ensure that guns remain out of the hands of those who shouldn’t have them," said executive director Jason Lindsay.