Walmart halts sale of assault rifles and sniper rifles!

After years of pressure by gun violence prevention groups and victims, not to mention increases in at least the last three years, Walmart has announced that it is discontinuing sales of assault rifles and sniper rifles in its stores.  This is a tremendous success for common sense!

gun crimes and shootings at its stores for

Up until this, Walmart had sold five different models of assault rifles.  Some of these have been used in shootings on Walmart property or have been stolen from the store counters.

Walmart continues to sell shotguns, hunting rifles, and ammunition, as well as realistic-looking airguns, and they still allow people to carry concealed handguns in their stores.

From an article:

The world’s largest retailer will stop stocking AR-15s and other modern sporting rifles (MSRs) as it resets its stores with fall merchandise, a Walmart spokesman confirmed to Quartz on Wednesday. The company will replace the rifles (carried in less than a third of its stores) with shotguns and other hunting weapons.

The move comes in the midst of a national gun debate fueled by high-profile shootings involving the weapon, including Adam Lanza in the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, James Holmes in the Colorado theater shooting, and the Los Angeles Airport shooting where a Transportation Security Administration officer was shot and killed.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation says modern sporting rifles are among the most popular firearms being sold in America.

Walmart claims the move was a "business decision" and not due to pressure, but assault rifles continue to be a hot commodity with the gun guys, so I think we all know what the truth is here.  There has been a lot of outcry, including petitions like HERE and HERE.

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Addendum (8/28/15):  A statement of support from New Yorkers Against Gun Violence.

Felons steal ammunition from Louisiana Walmart and use it to shoot a cop

Occurred January 21, 2015.


Two men and a woman entered a Walmart store in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, and stole ammunition.

Deputies responded, and when they pulled over the car with the suspects, one of the men, 27-year-old Chadwick Schwender, bailed out of the car and started shooting with a "high powered rifle" (most likely an assault rifle), hitting the squad car and striking one of the deputies in the hand.

All three were arrested after they tried to get away.  All three were felons.

From an article and news video:

At around 3 p.m. Deputy Atkins conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle that matched the description of a vehicle that was occupied by two men and a woman who stole ammunition from Wal-Mart in Donaldsonville earlier in the day on Tuesday.

When Deputy Atkins stopped the vehicle, the passenger of the vehicle opened fire on him.

According to Chief Bacala, three rounds were fired toward Deputy Atkins. One hitting his sheriff's office cruiser, and another struck Deputy Atkins in the hand. Deputy Atkins ran to at a nearby house where the resident called 911.

Deputy Atkins was rushed to a local hospital where he was released on Wednesday, January 21 and is expected to make a full recovery.

The two accomplices, a man and a woman, were arrested shortly after the shooting after trying to drive away, but crashing their vehicle. They were later identified as 27-year-old Jennifer McGhee and 27-year-old Chadwick Schwender. They attempted to break into a house by kicking in the door and forcing the homeowner to give up the keys to the vehicle. Deputies recovered the stolen vehicle in a ditch and McGhee and Schwender were arrested on scene.

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Judge orders Walmart to let NYC church challenge gun sales

November 2014.

(UPDATED -- See below)

Walmart doesn't like to advertise that they sell semi-auto assault rifles -- lethal weapons designed for only one purpose: to kill large numbers of humans as quickly as possible.

They don't even want to advertise it to their stockholders.  In fact, they have resisted calls to bring the issue to a vote at stockholder meetings.

Now a federal judge has ruled that they have to bring up the issue at their next stockholder meeting.  This was brought up last April by a New York church which is also a major stockholder of the company.

Perhaps many stockholders are unaware that Walmart currently sells five different models of assault rifles?

Or that assault rifles have been stolen, sometimes in large numbers, from Walmart stores, or used in crimes at their stores?  See HERE for plenty of examples.  There was a report this week, in fact, of an AR-15 rifle stolen right out of the display case, which a man stuffed into his clothes and walked out of the store with, unhindered.  HERE's a case from this year where nine assault rifles were stolen.  HERE's another from this year where six were stolen.

Over 122,000 people have signed a petition urging Walmart to stop sales of assault rifles.

Walmart already bans a lot of different products it considers "harmful," including CDs, books, the morning after pill, and even a pregnant Barbie doll.  So why then does it continue to sell weapons designed to kill people?

From an article:

U.S. District Judge Leonard Stark in Wilmington, Delaware on Wednesday said the world's largest retailer wrongly excluded such a proposal from Trinity Church, a historic Wall Street church, from its June 6 annual meeting.

Stark also granted Trinity an injunction preventing Wal-Mart from excluding the proposal from proxy materials for its 2015 annual meeting, saying a vote would serve the public interest.

The proposal would require the governance committee of Wal-Mart's board to more closely examine the sale of products that might endanger public safety, hurt Wal-Mart's reputation, or offend "family and community values" integral to the Bentonville, Arkansas-based company's brand.

Trinity said these products might include guns with clips holding more than 10 rounds, a type it said "enabled" mass killings in Newtown, Connecticut and Aurora, Colorado; or music that depicts sex or violence. It said Wal-Mart already limits sales of such music.

The April 1 lawsuit was filed two weeks after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission issued a "no action" letter signaling it would not punish Wal-Mart for excluding the proposal.

Stark said that while it was too late to do anything about the 2014 annual meeting, the SEC letter did not end the matter. He went on to reject Wal-Mart's argument that Trinity's proposal was too vague, potentially covering a broad swath of products. 

"The proposal does not dictate any particular outcome or micro-manage Wal-Mart's day-to-day business," Stark wrote. 

Wal-Mart spokesman Randy Hargrove said the retailer may appeal the decision.

UPDATE (12/9/14):  Read a statement from the plaintiff, Trinity Church, HERE.

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AR-15 assault rifle and ammo stolen from North Carolina Walmart

Occurred November 25, 2014.


A man walked into a Walmart store in Asheville, North Carolina, broke into a display case, and stole an AR-15 assault rifle and 150 rounds of ammo, stuffed it in his clothing, and calmly walked out with them.

From an article:

City police are asking for help finding a suspect who stole an assault-style rifle and 150 rounds of ammunition from Walmart on Airport Road.

The thief broke into a locked gun cabinet in the sporting goods section of the store about 10 p.m. Tuesday, Asheville police Sgt. Dave Romick said.

Video surveillance shows the man stealing an AR-15 rifle, then "stuffing the rifle down his pants and exiting the store," Romick said.

The suspect is described as white and 30-35 years old. He is believed to be 5-feet-8 to 5-feet-10 and 150 pounds with short brown hair. He was wearing a white and blue baseball cap, white T-shirt, blue jeans and a black jacket. The suspect may be traveling in a white, newer model, four-door sedan.

The rifle and ammo were valued at $920, according to a police report.

An additional news article and video.

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Man robbed at gunpoint for game system in Oklahoma Walmart parking lot; shot fired

Occurred October 22, 2014.


A man arranged to meet a couple in the parking lot of an Oklahoma City Walmart in order to sell a game system, as arranged on Craigslist.  But the man in the couple pulled an assault weapon and woman robbed the victim of his game system, instead.

The two men fought, and the gun dropped, firing a round.

The couple made off with the game system and gun, and the victim fled to his car where his child was waiting.

From an article:

A man told police he was robbed in a Walmart parking lot when he tried to sell a Playstation 4 game console in a Craigslist transaction.

About 12:50 p.m. Wednesday, police were sent to 6100 W Reno Ave. in reference to a reported armed robbery.

Jessie Wiley told police he was in the parking lot to meet with a man and a woman to sell them a Playstation 4.

As Wiley was taking the Playstation out of his vehicle, the man approached him with a gun described as a black Tec 9 or Uzi, the police report states.

Wiley told police the man told him to put the Playstation 4 in the trunk of his car, but Wiley refused.

The man ran up to Wiley and struck him on the back of his head, the police report states.
Wiley started wrestling with the man, the police report states.

He said the man dropped the gun, and it fired one round.

Wiley was not sure what direction the firearm was facing when the round went off, according to the police report.

Wiley said he started punching the man in the face.

The woman grabbed the Playstation 4 and loaded it in the trunk of her vehicle, Wiley told police.

She picked up the gun, and Wiley said he started gouging the man’s left eye with his thumb.

Wiley released the man and returned to his vehicle because he had a small child with him, the report states.

Walmart.  Save money.  Die faster.

Washington man uses Walmart to reload assault weapons during shooting spree of police stations

Occurred October 15, 2014.


A man in Washington state, Hans Hansen, decided he didn't want to live anymore due to hard times, so he went on a shooting spree, firing at police department buildings in Granite Falls and Lake Stevens and firing at a Marysville police officer, before being wounded and stopped.

He used a variety of handguns and rifles, including two semi-auto assault rifles (an AK-47 and AR-15).

Along the way, he stopped to reload and rearm with ammunition at a local Walmart, which conveniently sells the ammo (and weapons).

From an article (bolding added):

Hansen allegedly explained to detectives that his cabinet business had failed, and he'd been evicted from the industrial park in the 17100 block of Mountain Loop Highway in Granite Falls. He said he has a vascular disease and one of his legs must be amputated soon. Hansen also said he expected to lose his house in January because he hasn't been able to pay the mortgage.

He said an argument with his wife also triggered the gunfire spree. She had sent him an upsetting text message earlier in the day. Hansen told detectives he starting drinking.

Hansen thought about firing on police when they came to evict him.

However, he decided to gather several guns that he owned and go to several locations where police might be so he could fire at cars and buildings and engage the police in a gunfight and be killed," sheriff's detective Tedd Betts wrote.

Hansen loaded up his pickup with two AK-47 rifles, one AR-15 rifle, two .22-caliber rifles, one .300-caliber Winston short magnum rifle, a shotgun and a .40-caliber handgun. He admitted to firing multiple rounds into a building at the industrial park in Granite Falls.

He reloaded and drove to the Granite Falls Police Department. There he shot up an unoccupied patrol car. He also targeted empty patrol cars at the Lake Stevens Police Department. Bullets hit the station, too.

He stopped at Marysville Walmart on Highway 9 to reload. He said he was headed to the Marysville Police Department when he spotted a patrol car. Hansen said he turned into a residential area, and police followed him.

Hansen decided to fire on police, using his AK-47 and AR-15. One of the rifles was loaded with steel-core ammunition, which he told detectives he knew could penetrate vehicles, brick walls and telephone poles, Betts wrote.

Police say Hansen shot six police vehicles in all.

Hansen reportedly told detectives that he had planned to shoot up the Marysville department and then move on to the Navy Support Complex in Marysville. He figured that military personnel would kill him if police were not successful.

The Granite Falls father is facing multiple counts of first-degree assault and drive-by shooting.

Walmart continues to sell assault rifles and ammo for them, despite numerous cases where they have been stolen, sometimes in large quantities, from Walmart stores, or used in attacks on Walmart properties.

Walmart.  Save money.  Die faster.

Man threatens to shoot bystanders in New Mexico Walmart parking lot, then kidnaps woman at gunpoint

Occurred September 20, 2014.


21-year old Jaycee Yazzie got into an argument with his girlfriend in the parking lot of a Walmart store in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  When she refused to leave with him, Yazzie then pointed an AK-47 assault rifle at a couple bystanders, threatening to kill them.  She agreed to leave, and then the two of them left without Yazzie firing any shots.  Yazzie, himself, called police during the incident, giving his name and telling them he would shoot people.  One of the people he threatened also called 911.

The woman was not harmed.  Yazzie was later arrested.

From an article:

On Sept. 20, Rio Rancho police responded to a call about the man who told Albuquerque dispatchers he had an AK47 and would start shooting people if officers didn’t respond immediately, according to Rio Rancho Police spokesman Lt. Paul Rogers.

According to the criminal complaint filed in Sandoval County Magistrate Court, Yazzie gave his name during the call.

He fled before officers arrived and witnesses were not able to provide enough information for police to take immediate action, Rogers said, but Rio Rancho Police detectives investigated.

Shortly after officers locked down Walmart due to the threat, a woman called 911 and said a man had pointed a gun at her and her boyfriend in the store parking lot, according to the criminal complaint. The couple told police in later interviews that a man matching Yazzie’s description pointed a handgun at them and threatened to shoot them if a woman he seemed to know didn’t go with him.

The witnesses said the woman agreed to go, and she and the suspect drove away, according to the complaint.

Detectives located the owner of the cell phone used to make the 911 call threatening to shoot people, and an investigator spoke with her Sept. 22. The owner, a woman about 50, said she and Yazzie had been dating for about a year, according to the complaint.

After some resistance, she told officers she and Yazzie had gotten into an argument in the Walmart parking lot and he threatened to hurt a couple walking by if she didn’t leave with him, according to the complaint. She told the detective she was afraid and didn’t want to go, but agreed to after he threatened the other couple.

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Man steals assault rifle from Montana Walmart display case

Occurred September 7, 2014.


Schuyler Stewart Zwar has been arrested for entering a Billings, Montana, Walmart and going to the sporting goods area where, after asking to see some guns for sale, threatened an employee with a knife, then later returned and smashed a display case, stealing a Bushmaster model M-16, .223-caliber semi-automatic rifle, then fleeing.

From an article:

Zwar is seen on store security video pushing a large trash can into the store then walking to the sporting goods area.

Documents state Zwar looked at firearms in a display case then asked an employee for assistance to open the case.

After the employee took five firearms out of the case at 12:22 p.m. Zwar grabbed the employee.

The clerk said Zwar held a knife to his throat and tried to cut him several times, documents state.

The clerk told authorities he was calmly able to get away and Zwar left the sporting goods area.

Zwar returned less than a minute later swinging a large yellow crow bar, documents state.

Zwar "smashed the glass out of the display case and removed one firearm," documents state.

Walmart staff determined the firearm was a Bushmaster model M-16, .223-caliber semi-automatic rifle.

Zwar left the store at 12:24 p.m. using the automotive entrance and pulling a large black trash can, documents state.

Witnesses told officers the man left in a white vehicle, similar to a Subaru, with Washington state plates. ....

"The vehicle then led troopers on a pursuit for approximately 20 miles," the document states. "The vehicle was ultimately stopped after using spike strips to disable the tires and the driver identified as Schuyler Stewart Zwar."

After Zwar was taken into custody for the traffic offenses, troopers recovered a receipt for a crowbar that was purchased at a hardware store in Gillette, Wyo. earlier that day.
 ...

A search warrant was served on the vehicle and the rifle from Walmart, three boxes of ammunition, and the crowbar were recovered.

Walmart.  Save money.  Die faster.

Walmart is criticized by large stockholder and church for sales of high-capacity guns and explicit music

A church, Trinity Church Wall Street, situated on Wall Street in New York City, who is a major stockholder in Walmart, has demanded that the company reconsider it's sale of high-capacity firearms, as well as sexually-charged and violent music.  When Walmart refused to share a statement on this matter with other stock holders, against it's stockholder policy, the church sued them, hoping to bring a vote on the matter before other stock holders.

They claim that sales of high-capacity weapons hurts the company image and is against "family values" given that they are used as intended.... to kill large numbers of people quickly and efficiently.

From an article:

Trinity Church Wall Street contends Wal-Mart, the world’s biggest retailer, is refusing to allow distribution of proxy material at its June 6 annual meeting on the music-and-weapons issue even though Trinity is a legitimate investor, according to a lawsuit filed today in federal court in Wilmington, Delaware.

The church is asking Wal-Mart in its proposed proxy statement to reconsider sales of items that may be dangerous to the public, may hurt the company’s reputation or offend family values -- including weapons with clips holding more than 10 rounds that are “well suited to mass killing,” and music “that depicts violence or sex,” according to court papers.

Those high-capacity magazines reduce opportunities for victims in a mass shooting to flee or overwhelm a shooter while reloading, according to the church’s proposal cited in the complaint. Magazines holding 10 or more rounds have “enabled” mass killings including those in Newtown, Connecticut, and Columbine, Colorado, according to the proposal.....

“To be clear, this is not an anti-gun proposal,” Trinity Rector James Herbert Cooper said today in a letter to parishioners. “We are simply asking that shareholders be allowed to consider whether the board has an obligation” to maintain reasonable societal standards.  ....

Trinity owns at least $2,000 worth of Wal-Mart shares, according to court papers.

The church asked the court to rule against Wal-Mart’s refusal to allow the church’s proposal and to award legal fees and expenses.

Walmart hasn't yet released a statement.  If 81 shootings and 75 armed robberies with guns and a wide variety of other gun crimes on their property in 2013 weren't enough to convince Walmart to stop hawking lethal weapons, with 24 dead and 40 injured, then perhaps having stockholders complaining may actually get the company to listen.


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Nine assault rifles stolen from Memphis Walmart gun case in two separate robberies

Occurred January 27 and February 11, 2014.


In two separate robberies, suspects entered a Walmart store in Memphis, Tennessee, and took rifles right out of the display case in the gun department, then left the store with them.  In at least one instance, the key to the display case had been attached to the back of the case, in plain sight.

From an article:

A Memphis Police spokeswoman says two rifles were stolen on January 27th. On February 11th, seven more rifles worth a total of $6,400 were stolen.

"Things are constantly getting crazier by the day," Valencia Jones said. "You just wouldn't expect that out here, you would probably expect that somewhere else in another part of town."

According to a police report, a manager told officers that the gun case was new and the keys were stuck to the back of the gun case.

A Walmart spokeswoman says all of the guns and ammunition at the store on the 500 block of Germantown Parkway have been locked up, and customers can purchase them by talking with a manager.

"They need better security on their stuff," Bo Martin said. "There goes the crime rate."

Another article details what model the guns were.  All nine of the rifles were semi-automatic assault rifles:

Stolen were:

Colt M4 Carbine (3)

DPM Panther Arms A-5

Sigsauer 522

Bushmaster XM15-e2s

Sigsauer Sigm400

It has people worried now that the weapons may be on the streets.

One man who heard about the crimes, Jimmy Bloodsworth, said, “That’s terrible! I’d hate to run into someone that has them.” ....

For some, it is raising questions as to whether stores like Walmart should even sell these types of guns.

“I mean, I believe in second amendment rights, but to have guns like that to where they can be stolen and get into the wrong hands…That’s just terrible,” Bloodsworth said.

At least two shootings have also occurred in Memphis-area Walmart stores, injuring three people.

Walmart.  Save money.  Die faster.

Six assault rifles and another weapon stolen from Tennessee Walmart

Occurred February 13, 2014.

Scene of stolen assault rifles at Cordova Walmart (source)

Four men entered a Walmart store in Cordova, Tennessee, went to the gun department, broke into a display case, and stole six AR-15 assault rifles "plus another weapon" and escaped.

The guns have not been recovered.

From an article:

According to an incident report, what investigators describe as six "assault" rifles were swiped from one of the glass displays, plus a seventh weapon. 

Gun sales rack where the stolen AR-15s were kept (source)

Police identify one of the stolen weapons as the same model Bushmaster brand rifle used in the 2012 Sandy Hook School massacre in Newtown, Conn., where 20 children and six adults were murdered. 

"I have a child and don't want anything to happen to my child, and that means guns are just going to be out on the street," said resident Nikenya Rudd. 

Walmart continues to sell assault rifles, and is the leading retail seller of guns in the world.

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Man fires at vehicle in Oklahoma Walmart parking lot

Occurred February 6, 2014.


Police responded to a shooting at a Walmart store in Mustang, Oklahoma. Justin Smallwood, 29, of Oklahoma City, fired at an occupied vehicle in the parking lot, using a shotgun.  A police chase ensued, and when he was captured, he was wearing a bulletproof vest and, in addition to the shotgun, had two handguns, including one with a high-capacity ammo magazine.

Luckily, no one was injured.

From an article with a pic of the suspect:

"We had a subject that fired a weapon in the Walmart parking lot," Foley said. "He struck a vehicle that had three occupants in it. No one was hurt or injured." 

Foley said a Mustang police officer found the vehicle that matched the description, a silver Dodge Charger, and attempted to stop the vehicle. 

"The subject would not stop and a pursuit started," Foley said. "The pursuit went into Oklahoma City and ended at Interstate 40 and Council Road. He was taken into custody without incident." 

Justin Smallwood, 29, of Oklahoma City was taken into custody and booked into the Mustang city jail. 

"Something significant with this arrest is the firearms and ammunition he had with him," Foley said. 

Foley said Smallwood used a 12 gauge shotgun at Walmart. 

"When he was arrested, he was wearing a bullet proof vest loaded with extra magazines for both the rifle and handguns," he said. "There were two handguns laying on the passenger seat of the vehicle, one being a Glock firearm with an extra high-capacity magazine in it and the other being a .45 caliber 1911 style colt with another high-capacity magazine." 

Foley said he did not know what Smallwood's intent was at Walmart.

The suspect was heavily armed, including with an assault rifle.

Walmart.  Save money.  Die faster.

Maine caller phones Walmart asking to buy assault weapon "for school tomorrow"

Occurred November 14, 2013.


A young man called the Walmart store in Newport, Maine, asking if they sold assault rifles, stating, "I need it for school tomorrow."  Upon transfer to the sporting goods department (!), he hung up before transfer was complete. No caller ID was determined.

As a result, area schools and police were put on alert.

From an article:

Newport and Pittsfield schools were placed on alert Friday after a young male called a local Walmart on Thursday, asked if the store sold assault rifles and reportedly said, “I need it for school tomorrow,” according to Newport police. 

Newport police Chief Leonard Macdaid said security at Walmart in Palmyra called him on Thursday afternoon to report the call made to the store. 

“He asked if they had assault rifles there,” Macdaid said on Friday morning. “When the lady told him, ‘I’m not sure, I’ll transfer you to sporting goods,’ the young male said, ‘I need it for school tomorrow.’” 

Macdaid said the young male hung up before the transfer was complete and no caller ID was available. 

“We have no idea where the call came from,” said Macdaid. “We’re erring on the side of caution and have put out a statewide police bulletin.” 

Maine State Police and Pittsfield police were also made aware of the indirect threat, said Macdaid. 

The woman at Walmart said the young male who called “wasn’t irate or threatening. He was talking calmly,” said Macdaid. 

All eight of RSU 19’s schools began operating their “shelter in place” procedures, Superintendent Greg Potter said Friday. The schools are controlling access to buildings and are restricting outdoor activities. The procedures may continue into next week, he said.

Read more here: http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2013/11/14/2797650/shots-fired-in-airport-thruway.html#storylink=cpy

Walmart.  Save money.  Die faster.

Man kidnapped and robbed at gunpoint at Florida Walmart and Sam's Club

Occurred August 26, 2013.

Scene of kidnapping at gunpoint at Bradenton Walmart
(screenpic from video from here)

A shopper who exited a Walmart store in Bradenton, Florida, was kidnapped by gunmen with assault rifles in the parking lot.  They robbed him of his car, drove him to a neighboring Sam's Club store, stripped him down to his underwear, then dumped him several miles away.

The victim is okay, except for a slight head wound from being hit, but wasn't shot.

From an article and news video:

Deputies say it happened around 11:30 last night as the victim, Marcelo Fierro, 24 of Wimauma, walked out of the Wal-Mart after shopping.  The victim says a Hispanic woman, wearing a blonde wig, pulled up in a dark colored Expedition with Texas tags asking the man for directions.  When he walked up to the car, the victim says two Hispanic men with assault rifles accosted him, stole his keys and his car, and shoved him into the Expedition.  

They then drove to the back of a Sam's Club across the street from Walmart and made the man strip to his underwear.  According to the incident report, the suspects forced the man back into the car and drove about four to five miles to the 3900 block of 26th Avenue East.    

That's when the victim says he flagged down someone driving by and called 911.  

The victim had a small knot on his head according to the incident report, seemingly from the altercation, but did not go to the hospital. 

The suspects are also suspects in an earlier robbery.

Another Walmart Shooting had occurred at a Bradenton Walmart store (the same one?) in November, 2012, involving a law enforcement shooting of a drug suspect trying to run him over.

Walmart.  Save money.  Die faster.

Five men, armed with assault rifles, rob Texas Walmart

Scene of armed robbery at Atascocita Walmart

Occurred January 10, 2012.

Five men, armed with assault rifles, robbed a Walmart store in Atascocita, Texas.

From an article:

At approximately 11:00pm on January 10, multiple masked suspects entered the big-box retailer. The suspects wielded high-powered rifles as they moved through the store directly to the office where cash was stored. One suspect wheeled a large metal box containing an undisclosed amount of cash in a shopping cart to a waiting getaway car outside. 

All suspects fled the scene in what appeared to be a white four-door passenger vehicle, possibly a Ford Taurus. Surveillance video of the crime was released last week. 

Investigators are still looking for two other suspects, Stanley White, 18, and Kevin Harris, 21. 

All five are charged with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon.

According to another article, police believe it was an inside job:

Investigators said the heist appears to be an inside job. All the money was picked up at the registers at 10:55 p.m. and taken to the back, just minutes before the robbers came in. This time differs each night. 

The armed men walked into the store and went directly where the money was being counted. They quietly put the money in a grocery cart and pushed it out to their car.

Walmart.  Save money.  Die faster.

15-year old New Mexico teen who killed five family members had intended on mass shooting at Walmart

Shooter Nehemia Griego, age 15

A 15-year old boy, Nehemiah Griego, used an AR-15 assault rifle to shoot his two parents and three younger siblings in the head, killing them.  He then loaded up his car with his weapons and intended to drive to a local Walmart for a mass shooting.  His father was a pastor and prison minister.

From an article:

Authorities believe a 15-year-old New Mexico teen accused of shooting his parents and three younger siblings to death over the weekend planned to drive to a nearby Wal-Mart, kill more people there and eventually die in a shootout with police, the Albuquerque Journal reports. 

Nehemiah Griego packed loaded weapons, including an assault rifle, into the family car in preparation for the alleged attack, according to the newspaper. 

But before he could carry out his plan, the teen reportedly called and related his crime to a friend who convinced him to meet at Calvary Chapel. 

According to the Journal, Griego stayed at the church for hours before telling a security guard his family had been killed. The guard drove the teenager home and notified police upon seeing the crime scene. 

Investigators trying to piece together what led to the violence late Saturday night found several guns, including an AR-15 assault rifle and a .22 caliber pistol, Bernalillo County Sheriff Dan Houston said Sunday. The owner of the weapons has not been determined.  

Griego was arrested following the shootings at the residence in a rural area southwest of downtown Albuquerque, the sheriff's department said. He was charged with two counts of murder and three counts of child abuse resulting in death. 

Authorities identified the victims as Greg Griego, 51, his wife Sara Griego, 40, and three of their children: a 9-year-old boy, Zephania Griego, and daughters Jael Griego, 5, and Angelina Griego, 2. 

Nehemiah Griego had never been in trouble with the law, according to state officials. The state's child welfare agency has no record of any contacts with the 15-year-old or his family, spokesman Bob Tafoya said Monday. 

A records check by the Department of Children, Youth and Families also indicated the youth "had no involvement with the juvenile justice system whatsoever," Tafoya said.

Luckily, that friend convinced him to instead go to a local church, where the teen eventually surrendered.

Where did the boy get his AR-15 assault rifle?  Did the family purchase it at the Walmart?  Walmart sells five different types of assault rifles.

Why did the boy want to target Walmart, of all places?  Hmmm.....

Could he have been inspired by this previous plot to shoot up a Walmart?

(related: there had been a gang-related shooting at an Albuquerque Walmart last February).

Walmart.  Save money.  Die faster.

UPDATE (1/23/13):  According to a follow-up article, the boy got the gun by raiding his parents' closet, where the guns and ammo were not apparently locked up, while his mother slept.  He killed her first, then killed his three younger siblings because they were upset, then ambushed his father when he got home from an overnight shift at a mission.  The article confirms his intent to shoot up random people at a Walmart, and to die at the hands of police, but instead he went to a church to meet his younger girlfriend.  He may have been interested in killing her parents, too.  When interviewed by the police, it became apparent to them that the boy was very wrapped up in his love of extremely violent video games.

So far, 85,000 people have signed the petition for Walmart to stop selling assault rifles

Earlier, I had posted about a petition by SumOfUs.org to urge Walmart to stop selling assault rifles, after the massacre in Newtown.

So far, 85,000 people have done so, according to an article:

The petition, on action.SomeOfUs.org, urges Walmart to stop selling the Bushmaster AR-15 -- the high-powered rifle linked to the Newtown shooting -- as well other assault weapons. 

Walmart pulled the listing Bushmaster Patrolman's Carbine M4A3 Rifle from its webstore very shortly after the Sandy Hook shooting, but the company still sold similar rifles in 1,200 of its stores as of December 19, according to Bloomberg. 

Walmart is the largest seller of guns and ammunition in the country, according to the Wall Street Journal. The retailer didn't immediately return a request for comment from The Huffington Post.
Walmart brought guns back to almost half of its stores in 2011, the WSJ reported at the time, after the chain pulled them from its shelves in all but a third of its stores in 2006. Bloomberg reported five days after the Newtown shooting that assault rifles appeared to be out of stock at Walmart stores in five states.

If you haven't done so yet, I urge you to sign the petition.  Let Walmart know that the sale of lethal weapons isn't tolerated, particularly assault rifles.

Walmart.  Save money.  Die faster.

Walmart bans lots of things, from books to CDs, it deems unacceptable, but still sells assault rifles

Huffington Post online has just published "12 Items Walmart Apparently Considers More Dangerous Than Assault Weapons". Check it out.  Books, CDs (like this one), the morning after pill, and even a pregnant Barbie.

But it still sells guns and ammo, including 5 assault rifle models, despite the recent mass murders using them.  Apparently those aren't dangerous at all (despite being purpose-made to kill), and are in line with their company mission (despite at least 53 shooting incidents in 2012).

Shame on Walmart!  Sign this petition now, to stop further sale of assault rifles by them.

Walmart.  Save money.  Die faster.

Visit your Walmart and demand an end to assault weapon sales

SumOfUs.org is leading a drive to visit your local Walmart store and talk to the store manager, handing them a flier, telling them that you want Walmart to stop selling assault rifles.

Here is a link where you can find instructions:
http://sumofus.org/post/walmart-guns-dropoff/?akid=1166.1096003.1hlEs8&rd=1&sub=fwd&t=1

Here is a link where you can find their flier, which you can print:
http://sou.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/walmart-flier-final.pdf

Walmart continues to sell assault rifles -- five different models, including the Bushmaster .223 that was used in Newtown.

There is also a petition drive, which you can take part in.

Walmart is the number one retail seller of guns in America, and possibly the world.  It's time to end this disgrace.

Walmart.  Save money.  Die faster.

Petition demands Walmart remove assault rifles

Despite the slaughter of 20 young children and 6 adults by mass shooter Adam Lanza, in Newtown, Connecticut, Walmart still continues to sell assault rifles, including the type used by Lanza.  

The nation is crying out for sensible gun laws and a ban on assault rifles.  But that doesn't matter to the United States' number one seller of guns.  They sell at least five different models, and they're flying off the shelves to the point of backorder.  Clearly profits speaks louder than community safety or basic decency.

Screenshot of the petition site

Now, some responsible citizens at SumOfUs.org are demanding that Walmart stop selling these weapons of mass murder, and have started an online petition.

From the petition site:

Walmart is the largest gun dealer in the US, and it isn’t just selling hunting rifles.
The AR-15 is an assault weapon, designed to kill as many human beings as possible, and was the gun used to kill 20 children in the horrific Sandy Hook Elementary shooting last week. It’s also the gun used to kill 2 people in an Oregon mall the week before, and to kill 12 people in an Aurora, CO movie theater this summer. 

The AR-15 assault rifle has no place in our communities -- but as of last week, it's being sold in over 1,700 Walmarts around the country. Walmart removed the gun from its website, but not its actual stores, and it’s still stocking other semi-automatic rifles. Will we need to wait until the next mass shooting for Walmart to take those guns off the shelves? .... 

There’s good reason to target Walmart. The guns and ammunition on Walmart’s shelves are already leading to bloodshed around the country. When Jared Lee Loughner shot Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and 18 other people in Tucson last year, he bought his ammunition at a Walmart. A young Missouri man who was arrested while planning to open fire on a screening screening of Twilight in November had purchased an AR-15 and 400 rounds of ammunition at a Walmart. Community leaders and law enforcement personnel from Indiana to Texas report that criminals can easily steal deadly weapons from Walmart display cases.

Page 25 of the Walmart Statement of Ethics

Assault rifles like the AR-15 were designed with only one purpose: killing large numbers of people as fast as possible, firing between 45-100 shots per minute, despite being semi-automatic.  That's overkill for either hunting or self-defense.

On page 25 of the Walmart "Statement of Ethics," the company states, "We’re committed to the health and safety of our customers, members, and associates, because we care for one another."  If that's so, then why do they continue to profit from the business of killing?

Please take a moment and visit the petition site to add your name to the list of those who want an end to the selling of these weapons of mass destruction.

Walmart.  Save money.  Die faster.


UPDATE (1/4/13):  So far, 85,000 people have signed the petition.  If you haven't yet, please do so.