Kroger raises age limit to 21 for gun sales

March 1 (UPI) -- Grocery store chain Kroger has joined a growing group of retailers adjusting their gun sales policies in reaction to last month's shooting at a South Florida school.

Kroger announced Thursday it is raising the minimum age requirement for firearm and ammunition purchases from 18 to 21 years. The Ohio-based company only sells firearms at its Fred Meyer locations in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.

"Kroger's vision is to serve America through food inspiration and uplift," the company said in an update to its policy. "In response to the tragic events in Parkland and elsewhere, we've taken a hard look at our policies and procedures for firearm sales."

The company stopped selling assault-style rifles at all locations except those in Alaska, which make them available through special ordering. Kroger said Thursday it will now also halt those sales in Alaska.

"As we refresh stores we are often transitioning gun departments due to softer demand and changing customer preferences," the statement said.

The news comes one day after Walmart and Dick's Sporting Goods said they would only sell firearms to customers 21 years or older. The gunman who killed 17 students and teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida purchased a firearm at Dick's last year but he didn't use it in the shooting Feb. 14.