Walmart will no longer sell handgun ammunition and the store is publicly asking customers to refrain from openly carrying firearms into the store.
The news comes in the wake of shootings in Odessa, Texas and in El Paso.
“We have a long heritage as a company of serving responsible hunters and sportsmen and women, and we’re going to continue doing so,” according to a memo by Walmart’s CEO Doug McMillon to be circulated to employees Tuesday afternoon.
After all the current stock of ammunition is sold in Walmart stores across the country, the retail chain will stop selling short-barrel and handgun ammunition.
The move will cost Walmart some of its market share of ammunition from close to 20% to a range of 6% to 9%, around half of the 4,750-plus stores sell firearms.
After the El Paso shooting, Walmart took down depictions of violence from video games in order to curb the violence, but many critics called out the company for a lack of response.
Some critics are pushing the chain to completely stop selling firearms.
But, steps are being taken to remedy the issue.
Walmart announced in February 2018 that it would no longer sell firearms and ammunition to people younger than 21 and also removed items resembling assault-style rifles from its website.
That came as a response to the Parkland, Florida shooting that killed 17 people.
In 2015, Walmart stopped selling semi-automatic weapons like the AR-15 style rifle, the type used in the Dayton shooting.
Walmart also doesn’t sell large-capacity magazines, handguns (except in Alaska) or bump stocks. The AK-style firearm used in the El Paso shooting has also been banned by Walmart.
“In a complex situation lacking a simple solution. We are trying to take constructive steps to reduce the risk that events like these will happen again,” McMillon wrote. “The status quo is unacceptable.”