Walmart’s Toy Guns Trigger Trouble in New York

Walmart is under fire from New York after the state determined the retailer was selling realistic-looking toy guns.

An investigation launched by the office of State Attorney General Letitia James discovered that Walmart’s online shop was shipping toy guns to buyers in the state -- violating a 2015 law.

The law bars retailers from selling or shipping toy guns that appear realistic and are of certain colors like black, silver, or dark blue. It was part of a nationwide crackdown after 12-year-old Tamir Rice was killed by police while playing with a pellet gun.

Under New York state law, toy guns must “be made in bright colors or made entirely of transparent or translucent materials."

An investigation into Walmart’s online store showed third-party retailers shipped at least nine toy guns to third-party sellers in the state. Further investigation uncovered that between March 2020 and November 2023, 46 realistic toy guns were shipped to buyers in the state.

“The ban on realistic-looking toy guns is meant to keep New Yorkers safe and my office will not hesitate to hold any business that violates that law accountable,” James said in a statement. “Walmart failed to prevent its third-party sellers from selling realistic-looking toy guns to New York addresses, violating our laws and putting people at risk.”

Walmart neither confirmed nor denied the evidence presented in the investigation but did agree to a settlement. Per the settlement, Walmart agreed to pay $14,000 in penalties and $2,000 in fees and promised that third-party sellers would no longer be able to sell toy guns to buyers in New York.

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