Walmart to Remove Violent Video Game Ads in Response to Recent Mass Shootings

American superstore Walmart has reacted to the recent mass shootings in El Paso, which took place in a Walmart, and Dayton by announcing they will take down in-store advertisements for violent video games. However, they will continue to sell the video games, as well as guns and ammunition.

Advertisements for violent video games will sometimes have demo displays where customers can try the games. CNN has speculated that Walmart customers may be particularly susceptible to the sounds of gunshots considering the recent El Paso shooting and another shooting which took place in a Walmart in Mississippi. Walmart assured customers, "We’ve taken this action out of respect for the incidents of the past week, and it does not reflect a long-term change in our video game assortment."

This move was, to put it lightly, not well-received. Many social media users have not bought the recent attack on video games pushed by conservative politicians who have been arguing violent video games are a cause of mass shootings. Furthermore, many felt Walmart removing violent video game advertisements was a far less thoughtful move than removing the actual guns they sell.

The New York Times pulled a quote from an anonymous Walmart manager who stated, “It’s kind of funny that we can still sell firearms, but we can’t show pictures of a cartoon character holding a gun.”