Dick's Sporting Goods Suspends Some Rifle Sales Nationwide
Retailer's stores include several Twin Cities locations, including Woodbury.
The Dick's Sporting Goods chain said Tuesday that it is suspending sales of some rifles nationwide because of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings, USA Today is reporting.
Dick's Sporting Goods has more than 500 stores in 44 states with Twin Cities locations including Roseville, Minnetonka, Richfield, Maple Grove, Burnsville and Woodbury.
In a statement, the Pittsburgh-based sporting goods retailer on Tuesday said:
"We are extremely saddened by the unspeakable tragedy that occurred last week in Newtown, CT, and our hearts go out to the victims and their families, and to the entire community.
Out of respect for the victims and their families, during this time of national mourning we have removed all guns from sale and from display in our store nearest to Newtown and suspended the sale of modern sporting rifles in all of our stores chainwide.
We continue to extend our deepest sympathies to those affected by this terrible tragedy."
Walmart has taken similar measures at its stores.
In Woodbury, much of the focus in the days after the massacre was focused on safety at area schools. Related content:
- Connecticut School Shooting: District 833 to Review Safety and Security Practices
- Sandy Hook Shooting Prompts Increased Police Presence at Woodbury Schools
- Newtown School Shooting: Resources for Parents via Principal of Woodbury's Bailey Elementary
- Newtown School Shooting: McCollum Urges Immediate Congressional Action to End 'Epidemic of Gun Violence'
- District 833 Responds to Questions on School Safety, Security
Woodbury Patch bloggers have also responded to the tragedy in Newtown:
- Thoughts Following School Shooting in Newtown, CT
- 2nd Amendment Debate: Are We Capable of Hard Work or Are We in Real Trouble?
- Feeling Grief... Embracing Joy
At Dick's Sporting Goods, it's unclear how long the suspension of some rifle sales will last, according to the USA Today report. The Woodbury location does sell firearms, a manager told Patch.
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In This article
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Dick's Sporting Goods
8292 Tamarack Vlg, Woodbury, MN -
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Walmart
10240 Hudson Rd, Woodbury, MN -
yomammy
1:10 pm on Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Knee-jerk, political action.
Sorry "Dicks"...you will not see any more of my $$$.
Kris Janisch
1:19 pm on Wednesday, December 19, 2012
From our Facebook page:
Beth-Ann: we can only hope the moratorium continues and spreads
Eric: From strictly a PR standpoint, it's a no-win. Don't remove the guns and be branded as insensitive, remove the guns and be branded as anti-2nd amendment.
Nicholas: COWARDS!
Nicholas: I hope the store has to close from losing money because enough people decide to shop elsewhere!
Chris: Very poor decision. I will no longer shop at Dick's.
Patch: I just don't remember this kind of thing happening following other school shootings. But I could be wrong.
Beth-Ann: progress!
Nicholas: This is a step backwards not progress Beth!
Scott: Yes, progress.
Kathryn: I think the fact that the children were so young is having an impact on people's viewpoints of this. So that may be why the response is different this time.
Kathryn: Eric, being branded as anti-second amendment for removing the guns would be odd indeed. Merchants have always been free to chose to sell them or not sell them. IT is the same freedom that the gun toters want. There are many things that happen in the market place to cause a merchant to add or remove merchandise from a store. Maybe they are seeing there is no need for automatic weapons or semi-automatic weapons.
Rich: I think the California's teachers pension fund better hurry up and get their $500M investment out of Bushwacker gun maker.
Kris Janisch
1:28 pm on Wednesday, December 19, 2012
One more:
Daniel: Never let a good crisis go to waste. Fortunately there's many other stores, both small and large, that aren't jumping on bandwagons blindly.