Vice. Walmart stores are reportedly removing “signing and displays referencing violence,” including signage and playable demos for video games, following recent shootings at two of its stores.
On July 30, a gunman shot two Walmart employees and injured a police officer at a Walmart in Southaven, Mississippi. The following Saturday, on August 3, a 21-year-old man killed 22 people and wounded 24 others at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas. Days after the shooting, President Trump blamed, in part, “gruesome and grisly video games,” as well as mental health issues, for mass shootings in America, despite evidence that suggests otherwise.
This week, Walmart sent employees a notice titled “Immediate Action: Remove Signing and Displays Referencing Violence.” Freelance writer Kenneth Shepard posted an image of the notice on Twitter, and other copies have circulated on Reddit. “Review your store for any signing or displays that contain violent images or aggressive behavior,” the noticereads. “Remove from the salesfloor or turn off these items immediately.” It’s unclear how widely the notice was circulated.
