Customers react to Dick's Sporting Goods' gun restrictions

ALTOONA -- Dick's Sporting Goods announced Wednesday that its stores will no longer sell assault-style rifles, and the stores have restricted all gun purchases to customers 21 or older.

The Dick's stores stopped selling assault-style rifles after the Sandy Hook mass shooting, but continued to sell them in Field & Stream stores. Now, neither store will sell them.

"We don't want to be a part of this story anymore," CEO Edward W. Stack said, adding that the company had sold a shotgun to Nikolas Cruz, who was charged with killing 17 people in the most recent mass school shooting in Florida.

"When we looked at that and found out that we did this, we had a pit in our stomach," Stack said.

Dozens of customers in Altoona's Dicks Sporting Goods store in Logan Town Center said Wednesday they were afraid to voice their opinions, ask questions or discuss guns at all, expecting backlash and attacks.

Many said that the issue isn't black or white, but has gray areas, and that there are more than two sides to the social argument.

"Everybody is touchy about it. It's a very touchy society lately," customer Joshua Hill said.

He thinks people should listen to one another, rather than picking a side and closing off all conversation.

"I do think there are some very uninformed individuals out there giving their opinion on the issue. That's still their right. It doesn't mean I agree with it, but I won't attack them or berate them over it," he said.

"When it comes to athletics or sports, your team is your team, and there's no one who's going to talk you out of it, but when it comes to politics and firearms, everyone should be more open-minded to everyone's discussion or opinions."

His military background gives him a unique perspective.

"They handed me a gun when I was 18, so I don't see why someone with the right mental status can't walk into the store and buy an AR-15 if they want," Hill said.

Hill said that he owns a gun, but he hopes he never has to use it. He said he only has it to protect himself and his family.

"It's better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it," he said.

He thinks there's some common ground to be found within the gun discussion.

"What we need to do is keep (guns) out of the wrong hands, and I agree with any laws that will keep them out of the wrong hands, but I don't think that right-minded individuals need to be punished," Hill said.

Customer and Penn State Altoona student Jordan McCall said that he's no political expert, but he thinks Dick's Sporting Goods might take a hit to business after the recent decision.

"There needs to be extensive background checks I would say for AR-15s and semi-automatic rifles. There needs to be more standards set in place to prevent these sick people from getting the guns," McCall said. He added, though, that he doesn't think guns are the only catalyst to these tragic shootings.

"I would definitely say it needs to start with restricting guns getting in the hands of mentally sick people. It's just kind of sickening anymore to see how the American people think it's just guns. It's not just guns," he said.

Dick's Sporting Goods posted a letter about the policy change on social media Wednesday, saying the company supports the Second Amendment.

"We recognize and appreciate that the vast majority of gun owners in this country are responsible, law abiding citizens, but we have to help solve the problem that's in front of us. Gun violence is an epidemic that's taking the lives of too many people," the letter reads.

The etter has been shared on Facebook more than 500,000 times.

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