The retail giant Walmart has temporarily pulled ammunition and guns off its shelves. The move was made ahead of any possible looting or civil unrest that could take place following next week’s election.

The step has been taken as a “precaution for the safety of our associates and customers,” a Walmart spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal. They also said there is no timeframe set for returning the items to store shelves.

“We have seen some isolated civil unrest and as we have done on several occasions over the last few years, we have moved our firearms and ammunition off the sales floor as a precaution for the safety of our associates and customers,” said Kory Lundberg, a spokesman for Walmart.

Walmart notified store managers in a letter on Tuesday. Walmart asked their staff to pull guns from shelves “due to the current unrest in isolated areas of the country and out of an abundance of caution,” the Wall Street Journal reported.

This is not the first time the retailer made such a move. The retail giant made a similar decision this past summer during unrest following the death of George Floyd by police. Then it was intended to dissuade any potential theft if stores were broken into during protests.

Walmart, which sells firearms in about half of the 4,700 stores across the country, will still be selling guns and ammunition to customers when its requested even though they will not be on display in their retail stores. 

 

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