Groceries Not Guns: Two Shootings At Kroger Stores This Week Should Be Wake Up Call for Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen and President Michael Ellis

Responding to news reports of shootings at Kroger Stores in Toledo, Ohio and Fulton County, Georgia this week, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America is today reiterating its call on Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen and President Michael Ellis to prohibit the open carry of guns in its stores.

“Our thoughts are with the victims of these two shootings at Kroger locations in Ohio and Georgia. The last place I expect to encounter a loaded gun is at the grocery store—especially not a place that promotes being family-friendly like Kroger,” said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun sense in America. “These shootings, along with the 16 other shootings and threats at Kroger stores nationwide in the past two years, should be a wake up call to Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen and President Michael Ellis: Guns do not belong at the grocery store. Moms, alongside more than 350,000 petition signers, and 64 percent of Kroger shoppers polled, believe that Kroger should change its gun policies to ask customers to leave their firearms at home. ”

In October, a poll conducted by the Benenson Strategy Group showed that 64 percent of Kroger shoppers polled believe people should not be able to openly carry guns in Kroger stores—and one in four parents who shop with their kids say they would definitely not shop at Kroger with their children if open carry is allowed.

Moms launched a petition in August demanding that Kroger, the nation’s largest supermarket chain, stop allowing the open carry of gun in its stores. The petition has garnered more than 350,000 signatures.

While Kroger has not yet changed its open carry policy, in recent weeks, New Seasons Market, a chain of more than a dozen grocery stores located in Oregon and Washington, and Panera Bread recently joined other major brands, including Target, Starbucks, Chipotle, Sonic, Jack in the Box, and Chili’s, in asking guests to leave their firearms at home.