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Dick’s Sporting Goods Suspends Sale of Certain Rifles After Sandy Hook Tragedy

Dec. 18, 2012 2:12pm Erica Ritz

Dicks Sporting Goods Suspends Gun Sales After Newtown, CT Sandy Hook Tragedy

(Photo: Wiki Commons)

(TheBlaze/AP) — One of the country’s largest sporting goods chains says it’s suspending sales of “sporting rifles” nationwide because of the recent school shooting in Connecticut.

Dick’s Sporting Goods also says it’s also removing all guns from display at its store closest to Newtown, where the massacre took place.

Authorities say a gunman killed 26 people, mostly children, with a military-style rifle at Sandy Hook Elementary School on Friday after killing his mother. When he heard authorities closing in, he also killed himself.

A statement posted on Dick’s website expressed sympathy for the victims’ families, saying the sale of the rifles will be suspended during “this time of national mourning.”

Here is the complete statement:

We are extremely saddened by the unspeakable tragedy that occurred last week in Newtown, CT, and our hearts go out to the victims and their families, and to the entire community.

Out of respect for the victims and their families, during this time of national mourning we have removed all guns from sale and from display in our store nearest to Newtown and suspended the sale of modern sporting rifles in all of our stores chainwide.

We continue to extend our deepest sympathies to those affected by this terrible tragedy.

Dick’s declined to answer Associated Press questions about how long the suspension will last, and exactly which weapons are being pulled.

Reactions have been mixed. Here is a sample of the comments on Facebook:

(Photo: Facebook/Dick’s Sporting Goods)

One man wrote a lengthy comment in which he explained how, in his opinion, Dick’s actions perpetuate the notion that the weapons are the problem, not the criminals, and that the best solution is to violate the rights of law-abiding citizens.

He continues:

The absolute majority of the gun owning citizens of this country have a proven history of responsible ownership, including military grade weapons such as the AR15. I find it unfortunate that the evil of a few mentally ill citizen have motivated you to abandon the ideals of our 2nd amendment. This amendment was never about hunting or simple self-defense, it was is about the citizenry providing another of the important “checks and balances” that have served this country well for the last 236 years.

Pittsburgh-based Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc. has more than 500 stores in 44 states.

CBS New York has more:

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Comments (131)

integrican
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:36pm
DICK’s Sporting Goods….what an appropriate name!!!

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- Mil-Dot
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:53pm
  Yep, you can strike them off my list of stores to patronize. Let them sell tennis rackets or something. Geez
  
  Report this comment
- HOOT_OWL
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:56pm
  If they had their way .They would just sell golf clubs, if it paid the bills.
  
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- Gold Coin & Economic News
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 3:08pm
  They are a SPORING GOODS store! What the heck is the matter with them? I think it would be funny of they went out of business. The whole world is going crazy with this gun control CRAP:
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRFGAGIIDfs
  
  Report this comment
- The_Jerk
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 3:27pm
  Everybody’s riding the “I’m more compassionate than you” train. Shameful the way people use tragedy.
  
  Report this comment
- black9897
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 3:34pm
  Not going there anymore. I never boycott really, but this is absurd.
  
  Report this comment
- Rational Man
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 3:35pm
  At this time Cabella’s, Sportsman’s Warehouse, Bass Pro Shops and Scheel’s would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to Dick’s Sporting Goods for forwarding all of their business to our stores at this Christmas season and in the future. Thank you Dick’s for your bone headed generosity in the spirit of stupidity and bad judgement!….Merry Christmas!
  
  Report this comment
- Trigus
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 3:36pm
  I do not remember seeing any “Assault Weapon” at Dicks. Wait, they did have some airsoft “Assault Weapons.” Think maybe that is what Dicks stopped selling?
  
  Report this comment
- oldguy49
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 3:39pm
  this makes 2…………………. cheaper than dirt lost my business also
  
  Report this comment
- Objectivist_John_Galt
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 3:41pm
  I wonder how many criminals will now see Dick’s as a good target since the company policy is to not allow weapons in the store.
  
  Sign the petition to allow teachers to arm here http://wh.gov/RJ5d
  
  Report this comment
- SocialistSlayer
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 3:47pm
  Maybe they should stop selling everything in the store – Especially those baseball bats that can be used to club people to death ! What a Bunch of Corporate Morons !
  
  Report this comment
- Ben__Franklin
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 3:50pm
  Dicks had to stop selling the M14 Carbines. Those pesky menacing looking guns kept finding people to buy them. The M14s led those people to their cars. The M14s forced their new owner to place them in either the front seat, back seat, or trunk. After receiving instructions from the M14s on where to drive to the nearest movie theater, the M14s forced their owner to load the clip and start firing at people.
  
  Before the M14 could kill anyone, an armed citizen with a conceal carry permit pulled their 9MM and killed the M14. The owner of the M14 was relieved of the power that M14 had over him. He then headed back to Dicks Sporting Goods to be forced by a different M14 to buy it……..
  
  Report this comment
- M1A2_Tanker
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 5:38pm
  OPSGEAR
  At http://www.opsgear.com we support the 2nd Amendment and your fundamental rights. We are Veteran owned and operated. We support all of those on the line past, present and future. We have trained thousands of military, law enforcement and civilians free of charge for over a decade. We believe in God, Country and Community! We will continue to try and do the right thing…all the time. Count on us and support our mission by shopping at OPSGEAR®. Shop here instead
  
  Report this comment
- TORCH9
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 10:37pm
  I thought the rifle was found in the shooters car??!!
  
  Report this comment
- CB1
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 11:00pm
  Gutless nowonders
  
  Report this comment
Liberalism Is A Mental Disorder
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:35pm
Dick’s is just an over priced excuse for a sporting goods store. I’d rather support local stores anyway.

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- GhostOfJefferson
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 3:31pm
  That’s pretty much what I came here to say. Honestly, I don’t shop there to begin with, for exactly what you referred to, the price. I get my firearms and supplies through my private club gun range. Membership gives me a great discount that compensates for the sales tax, and they have lower prices than most competing shops, so it makes sense to only shop there. In a pinch I’ve bought some .22 from Wally World, but that’s only if I don’t feel like a moderate drive to get to my range.
  
  Somethings going on behind the scenes though. Now the story about “cheaper than dirt”? Hardline gun retailers know every single facet and argument for the 2nd Amendment, it seems rather unbelievable that they’d fold within minutes of Der Leader screeching about Human Control…I mean gun control.
  
  Report this comment
- frust@ted
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 4:23pm
  I don’t really care if Dicks decide to stop selling a particular rifle, it’s their choice to do so. I don’t buy my guns from Dicks or national retailers anyways, i go to the local/regional gun stores. They usually have the more knowlegable staff and are a lot more helpfull if you have questions or problems.
  
  Report this comment
FaithfulFriend
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:35pm
To my limited knowledge, the only AR styled rifles they sell are all for airsoft. And since the left seems to say rifles just for hunting are fine, and that’s what Dick’s sells… then what’s the problem? And since Dick’s built a national chain while always selling hunting rifles and gear for all these years while their store was populated with unoffended shoppers… then what over medicated sector of their company came up with this idea?

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integrican
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:34pm
No AR-15s??? Okay, Let me look at one of those 30-06s and one of those 7mms semi-auto hunting rifles. Hey, can I get a scope with these? What? Those AR-15s are accurate out to 400-500 yards, but these can drop and elk at 700 yards? Wow I’ll take both of them. Thank you, you were such a great help. I almost bought one of those dinky .22 caliber semi-auto rifles that merely “look” menacing.

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- atechgeek
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 3:47pm
  Actually the .22 rifle is a solid choice for sniping. It is very accurate, easy to get, and light weight.
  
  Report this comment
- nonofmybiznez
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 3:55pm
  Thanks for the laugh!
  
  Report this comment
- nonofmybiznez
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 3:58pm
  I like my 410/22 over/under that is older than dirt and accurate as anything else you could buy. I agree, don’t discount that 22.
  
  Report this comment
progressiveslayer
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:34pm
And so it begins,the progressives in and outside government will use emotion and this massacre to restrict the sales of the ‘scary looking’ weapons.So whats to protect us from government? The constitution of course but we’ve allowed politicians over the years to render it meaningless leaving us exposed to the growing tyranny we currently find ourselves in. It’s diabolical really when you think about it because retailers will be shamed into not providing ‘scary looking’ weapons to be sold.On a related note just keep allowing progressive politicians to create unconstitutional ‘gun laws’ and before you know it no law abiding citizen will be able to purchase a firearm and we’ll all be safe right? 100% guarantee that nobody will be killed by firearm ever again. Only the simpletons among us are that naive to believe that and as for all those caring politicians,they salivate over the idea that the citizenry will be disarmed because it’ll make their next step that much easier.

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- nonofmybiznez
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 4:07pm
  You have no idea how stupid they can be. Had a conversation with a Liberal woman the other day who said she was scared when her husband went out of town, but that she had a gun and a pitbull. Not 2 minutes later as we were talking she said she said oh no, I couldn’t shoot someone. I told her she was the one who shouldn’t have a gun. She looked at me like I was standing on my head. I said if you can’t shoot someone, they will take the gun away and shoot you with it. She will probably end up killing her husband by mistake. They just don’t think about what they are saying.
  
  Report this comment
- nonofmybiznez
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 4:08pm
  Look at Mexico if you want to see what a country that isn’t allowed to have guns looks like. ONly the cartel have the good ones.
  
  Report this comment
Top_Contributor
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:34pm
Good work, Dick’s. I support you.

People whose first reaction was “ya ain’t gonna take ma guns!” need mental help. Don’t let those people near guns.

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- Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:45pm
  People who’s first reaction is to blame a gun when a nutjob, drugged up, vegan decides to commit evil need a lesson in reason and logic.
  
  Report this comment
- FaithfulFriend
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:46pm
  Try taking your racism someplace else if you don’t mind.
  
  Report this comment
- Anonymous T. Irrelevant
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:46pm
  How do you support that statement, noob?
  
  Report this comment
- 226crimsontrace
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:53pm
  Can’t wait for you to find out your child is on the same drugs as the shooter
  
  Report this comment
- encinom
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:54pm
  Guns don;t kill, they just make it a hell of a lot easier. The paranoid gun fringe is proving that they lack the mental stability to own their weapons.
  
  There is no NWO or UN Black Helicopters coming to get your cowardly arses.
  
  Report this comment
- progressiveslayer
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:57pm
  You’re violating the simpleton free zone.
  
  Report this comment
- Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 3:05pm
  Ah, our favorite Troll.
  
  So, in your world we give up all of our guns so that you and your ilk will look after us? Cuz you love us so much right? You’d be totally fair and just and cool about everything right?
  
  If anyone is out of their mind it’s you. You should be ashamed. It’s one thing to be a serf, it’s quite another to be a bootlicking, courtesan moron. Congrats on that.
  
  Report this comment
- black9897
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 3:37pm
  If you want to give up your guns, not carry and be a good little slave and obey your masters..ok. Just don’t force me to.
  
  Report this comment
- DAS_MOOCH
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 3:53pm
  TOP_CONTRIBUTOR, why don’t you and ENCENOM get together and contribute to the top of each others glans.
  
  Report this comment
- Top_Contributor
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 4:36pm
  @DAS_MOOCH, what in the hell is a “glans?”
  
  Basic IQ test should be required for gun ownership, and you and most Blazers would fail.
  
  Report this comment
- AlansTigg
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 5:16pm
  TC is auditioning for the position of head troll…unfortunately we already have several much more highly qualified candidates…perhaps the HuffPo??
  
  Report this comment
- countryfirst
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 6:20pm
  Encinom, what will all you anti gun sheeple be doing if or most likely when the S#*t hits the fan, O that’s right dyeing without a fight. Thanks for the help we can always use your bodies as a barricade.
  
  Report this comment
IWISHIWASINTEXAS
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:32pm
I guess its their choice if they want to loose all of the new business that is sure to be coming from sales in AR’s and AK’s. If it were my business? I’d be ordering in as many large capacity magazines and AR-15′s that I could get my hands on. Business is going to explode!

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- 226crimsontrace
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:54pm
  I applaud your capitalistic idea
  
  Report this comment
resme
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:30pm
uh huh, http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b8b_1355643365

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- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 3:13pm
  RESME, You do know that you are exposing too much common sense for the liberals to comprehend. They actually think that by outlawing all guns the criminals will just give theirs up.
  
  Report this comment
- Anonymous T. Irrelevant
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 3:30pm
  @RJJ
  Yeah, same logic as being nice to terrorists so they will like us and stop blowing people up.
  
  Report this comment
- Popp40
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 3:44pm
  That was a powerful video….to bad the liberals and those government officials pushing gun control won’t understand it.
  
  Report this comment
GuruMeditation
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:29pm
I won’t spend there any more. Bye, bye.

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- whater39
  Posted on December 19, 2012 at 1:17am
  Wow someone (corpration person too… your idol RMoney said that) has a moment of compassion. Then you go and be a Dick.
  
  BeckBot ******
  
  Report this comment
ResistSocialism
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:29pm
Dick’s

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Tri-ox
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:28pm
What on Earth are they thinking? This is going to backfire on Dick’s – big time.

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ArmedAndReallyPissed
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:27pm
There now. That will solve the problems this Kountry is having with our Mentally ill. No more shootings of any kind. Thanks dicks. Gee, i wonder if the word “dicks” will make it through ? I suppose so. It’s no different than the words Matthew or Maher.

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southernORcobra
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:26pm
Cheaper than dirt is doing this as well as jacking up prices. Glenn needs to stop supporting them.

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- Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:34pm
  Just went over and looked at that. You’re right. Wow. I’ve spent truckload with them. No more.
  
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- WarMunger_Al
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:36pm
  I was just on the cheaperthandirt site and didn’t see that. I know most of the ar’s are on backorder as well as a lot of magazines are not in stock.
  
  Report this comment
- BoJacksonFive
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:49pm
  Did they really do away with certain guns? I can’t buy guns from them anyway because our state doesn’t allow mail order guns. So I only shopped at CTD for accessories.
  
  However, I have noticed a huge increase in shipping and handling at CTD.
  
  The 25 round clips I ordered from them came yesterday. Loaded ‘em up last night.
  
  But if they’ve pulled back their gun sales because of CT, I’m done with CTD too.
  
  Report this comment
barber2
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:25pm
I support gun rights , but I also support civility and sensitivity to those who have suffered such a devastating loss. I applaud the “evil rich ” ( per the Chicago Obama radicals ) corporate leaders at Dick’s .

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- Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:43pm
  How exactly does me exercising my constitutional right and purchasing a handgun or rifle offend the sensitivities of anyone in Conn? And if it in fact does, then shouldn’t it also offend any person who has ever known any other person who has been shot?
  
  It’s a stupid argument. If somebody wanted to do as you suggest, rather than stop purchasing firearms maybe they should get off of the Ritalin, SSRI’s, MAOI’s, Lithium, etc. Maybe if you wanted to somehow make a difference in the world in tribute to these people (not you specifically here, but) you’d raise your kids to know right and wrong. You’d punish them and love them. You’d do it without drugs. You’d do the same in your own life as an example to the rest of humanity.
  
  Blaming guns is society’s way of shirking off accountability for being the collective whiners, uninformed, lazy, idiots, mouthbreathing, morally flawed, American Idol watching, haven’t picked up a book in 5 years, I don’t love anyone more than I love myself, twitter/facebook sucker, lard butted, fiscally irresponsible, cowardly, human debris that we really are. (Where’s the tylenol?)
  
  Much easier to blame guns than to fix that hot mess.
  
  Report this comment
youshuthehellup
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:25pm
screw dicks sporting goods – thats why they call themselves dicks! trying to make the American people look like they are the criminals!! what Az holes -the whole store sucks anyway and now I’ll make sure to never wander into it again. they really think suspending for everyone responsible in handling rifles is going to magically cure all crack pots(LOL) We do not need stores like this! this is what businesses tried to do w/Rush Limbaugh and we all said by by to them and they felt it too!!! good luck in a bad economy dicks – there are a lot of other places we can go!

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Popp40
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:25pm
So Dick’s will be losing out on the revenue. I will be sure to take my business some where else even if I have to pay a little more at my local shops.

I’m not saying Dick’s doesn’t have a right to do this, but as a customer I have the right to take my business elsewhere….which I will do.

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Mudd
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:24pm
Oh well, it’s their loss.

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Shasta
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:24pm
When Dick’s makes the decision to stop selling certain guns, the commercial consequences are on them. When the government force gun stores to stop selling guns, the consequences are on us. I think Dick’s is making a huge mistake, but I would rather see a private company act out of conscious, than our government act out of the love of power.

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Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:22pm
Give them your thoughts:
http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/helpdesk/index.jsp?display=store&subdisplay=contact&ab=Footer_Help_Contact

Besides, this will help those who try to go to dicks.com.

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- The-Monk
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:27pm
  Hi Anonymous T. Irrelevant,
  
  LOL… anyone how tried that just might deserve it.
  
  Merry Christmas (in case I don’t run into before then) : )
  
  Report this comment
- mercenary4freedom
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:41pm
  I haven’t shopped Dick’s overpriced stores in years & definately will not step foot in another one even if they are giving mechandise away.
  
  This is desperation by the collectivists, the dems assault on the 2d amendment is full bore.These criminal politicians (headed by obama) and banking cartels want us disarmed because they know they will be sent to prison, get curb-stomped or worse by the american people for what they have done & continuing to do to our nation.
  
  They better think about banning rope!
  
  Report this comment
- Anonymous T. Irrelevant
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 3:35pm
  Hey Monk,
  You have a very Merry Christmas, too!
  Did you ever get any hackers to respond?
  
  Report this comment
Fubared
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:21pm
Going to the mom and pop shop down the screet now. Thanks for helping with that decision, Dick.

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- BoJacksonFive
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:41pm
  I started going to a mom & pop after Dunham’s didn’t know how to properly interpret a “straw sale”. I wasn’t buying the gun for anyone else and it was my money! I simply asked about gifting a used gun to my son. They said my intentions were that of a “straw sale”. No….I was keeping the new gun and gifting the old!
  
  Dumbasses….
  
  Report this comment
FaithfulFriend
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:21pm
They also sell clothes and shoes and stuff criminals wear all the time. Some even have sports teams logos on them that gangs wear to identify themselves.

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kickagrandma
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:20pm
Had been wanting to go there since we moved. Guess we won’t be.

Another one bites the dust.

Where is the courage, AMERICA?

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- Mudd
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:27pm
  There’s still courage, at least half of us still have it. The other half is afraid that the sky is falling.
  
  Report this comment
36IDREDLEG
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:20pm
Dick’s has lost my business. This was an exercise in political correctness. They will discover what a poor business decision this was when the tsunami of 2A supporters boycott them. There is a boycott page on FB now.

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Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:19pm
Don’t want those guns to hop out of the store and start shooting anyone. Dumbf¥€#$!

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randy
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:17pm
Last time I shop at Dicks…

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- NeverFalterNeverQuit
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:24pm
  Agreed.
  
  Report this comment

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