Gun Control Advocates Praise Corporate Moves, Pressure Academy

Gun control activists are putting pressure on Academy Sports + Outdoors to join their counterparts in the retail world and limit gun sales to people over the age of 21, Newsradio 1200 WOAI reports.

"The shooter at Sutherland Springs bought his weapons at Academy.  They're a big regional player," Ed Scruggs with Texas Gun Sense tells News RAdio 1200 WOAI.

Devin Kelley bought a Ruger AR-566 rifle at a San Antonio Academy store in 2016.  That firearm was used to murder 26 people at the First Baptist Church, outside San Antonio. 

First it was Dick's Sporting Goods that adjusted their policies to ban gun sales to those under the age of 21.  Walmart followed suit. 

Scruggs says, if Academy did the same, he feels it go a long way towards cutting down on gun deaths.

"People are more likely to see guns on sale at Walmart at Academy than they are a gun store and, especially with young people, this makes a statement that guns are serious business," he explains.

But, so far, Academy is keeping their current policy in place.

"As a Federal Firearms Licensee, we support the Fix NICS Bill to strengthen the background check system and require greater compliance with the law," the chain tells the Austin Business Journal.

That bill is authored by Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), who slammed the retailer's decision to raise the age.

"If you have a 19 year old Marine, are you going to tell him that he can’t buy a firearm?" he tells Newsradio 1200 WOAI.  "Some of these things are more symbolic than effective."


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