Walgreens and CVS join national gun debate

CVS and Walgreens joined the growing list of retailers asking shoppers to not bring guns into stores.

The drugstore chains both announced changes to their firearms store policies Thursday, two days after Walmart and Kroger joined the national gun debate.

“We support the efforts of other individuals and groups working to prevent gun violence, and continually review our policies and procedures to ensure our stores remain a safe environment,” CVS said in its statement. “We join a growing chorus of businesses in requesting that our customers, other than authorized law enforcement personnel, do not bring firearms into our stores.”

Walgreens issued a similar statement, asking “customers to no longer openly carry firearms into our stores other than authorized law enforcement officials.”

See the list: Which stores besides Walmart, Kroger want you to leave guns at home

Walmart’s new stance on guns: Five things to know about the retailers changes and open carry

Also on Thursday, facing a mounting social media campaign, New York-based Wegmans Food Markets announced it was changing its policies.

Pressure on the company started heating up Tuesday when Shannon Watts, founder of the gun control activist group Moms Demand Action, tweeted to Wegmans, asking “When will you prohibit open carry inside your stores?”

Actress Julianne Moore also asked the chain of 100 stores in Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia to act. 

“The sight of someone with a gun can be alarming, and we don’t want anyone to feel that way at Wegmans,” the grocer wrote in announcing the change. “For this reason, we prefer that customers not openly carry firearms into our stores.”

Contributing: Meaghan M. McDermott, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

Follow USA TODAY reporter Kelly Tyko on Twitter: @KellyTyko