L.L. Bean is now the latest company to raise its minimum age for gun purchases from 18 to 21.
“In the wake of this shooting we have reviewed our policy on firearm sales, and we will no longer be selling guns or ammunition to anyone under the age of 21,” the company said on Twitter late on Thursday, March 1.
In the wake of this shooting we have reviewed our policy on firearm sales, and we will no longer be selling guns or ammunition to anyone under the age of 21. ^kw
— L.L.Bean (@LLBean) March 2, 2018
Although L.L. Bean announced the policy change via Twitter, there is no information on that change on its website.
The increase in minimum age has become a popular response by companies following the massacre in Florida last month.
On Feb. 14, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz opened fire inside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, leaving 17 dead and 16 wounded.
Following the massacre, President Donald Trump made the suggestion to raise the minimum age to buy all guns to 21.
I will be strongly pushing Comprehensive Background Checks with an emphasis on Mental Health. Raise age to 21 and end sale of Bump Stocks! Congress is in a mood to finally do something on this issue – I hope!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 22, 2018
Currently, the federal minimum age for buying or possessing handguns is 21, but the age limit for rifles—including the AR-15 used in the Florida attack—is 18.
Since then, Wal-Mart, Kroger, and Dick’s Sporting Goods also recently announced a minimum age increase.
“Going forward, we are raising the age restriction for purchase of firearms and ammunition to 21 years of age. We will update our processes as quickly as possible to implement this change,” Walmart said in a statement.
“We are also removing items from our website resembling assault-style rifles, including nonlethal airsoft guns and toys. Our heritage as a company has always been in serving sportsmen and hunters, and we will continue to do so in a responsible way.”
Kroger-owned Fred Meyer will no longer sell any guns to people under age 21.
“In response to the tragic events in Parkland and elsewhere, we’ve taken a hard look at our policies and procedures for firearm sales,” Kroger said in a statement. “Recent events demonstrate the need for additional action on the part of responsible gun retailers.”
Dick’s also said that it would no longer sell assault-style rifles and high-capacity magazines in its stores.
After the announcement, Dick’s CEO Edward Stack said that executives expected backlash but thought it was the right thing to do following the Parkland shooting.
“The hunt business is an important part of the business, no doubt about it. And we know there will be some backlash,” he told CNN.
“As we sat and talked about it with our management team, it was—to a person—that this is what we need to do.”
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