Officials with the supermarket chain Kroger announced Thursday that the company's Fred Meyer locations will stop selling guns to people under the age of 21, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The retailer is third to announce the decision to tighten its gun purchase policies in the wake of a mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, that claimed the lives of 14 students and three staff members.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Kroger sells firearms at 43 Fred Meyer stores in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. The company previously sold assault-style rifles in three states – Oregon, Washington and Idaho – but stopped several years ago, the newspaper reported.
A spokeswoman told the Wall Street Journal that the company decided Wednesday "to no longer sell those style of guns or special orders for them in Alaska."
Officials with Dick's Sporting Goods, one of the nation's largest sports retailers, announced Wednesday that the company would no longer sell assault-style rifles or high-capacity magazines at any of its stores. The company also raised its minimum gun purchase age to 21.
Officials with retail giant Walmart, one of the nation's largest sellers of guns and ammunition, also announced Wednesday that the company is raising the age to buy firearms in its stores to 21. The retailer had stopped selling assault-style rifles in 2015, according to officials.
The policy changes come amid a renewed national gun debate in light of the deadly shooting at Stoneman Douglas High. Officials said suspected gunman Nikolas Cruz, 19, legally bought the AR-15 rifle he used to gun down students and staff members at his former alma mater. He faces 17 counts of premeditated murder in the attack.
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