Walmart has apologized after a viral photo seemed to show guns displayed under a back-to-school sign at a store.

According to KFSM, several Twitter users Wednesday shared a photo of a gun display that appeared to be under a banner that read, "Own the school year like a hero."

>> See the tweet here

The image quickly went viral and sparked criticism on social media.

CNN reported that Walmart spokesman Charles Crowson said Wednesday evening that the company was still trying to identify the store where the photo was taken.

Earlier Wednesday, however, Walmart tweeted that the store was in Evansville, Indiana, and apologized, calling the display "horrible" and saying, "We removed the sign as soon as we found out."

Crowson told CNN that those posts were incorrect.

Leeanna May, who said she snapped the controversial photo, disputed Crowson's claim in an interview with The Washington Post. She said she saw the display at the Evansville store Wednesday morning and alerted workers there.

"People don't seem to honestly care," she told the Post.

May tweeted the photo but later made her account private. Walmart replied, asking where the store was located, then added that "store manager Christina has removed the sign from the display."

"Thanks again for alerting us to this," Walmart tweeted.

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Peggy Harris (foreground) stocks the shelves at Sandy's IGA, which is the only grocery store in town, Tuesday, October 7, 2025, in Sparta. Hancock County has one of the highest rates of childhood food insecurity in the country. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

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