ORLANDO, Fla. – The Florida-native grocer Publix may have just reversed its prior policy allowing open carry in Florida stores, News 6 learned on Tuesday.
The issue first cropped up after the Tampa Bay Times reported that the open carry policy may have been quietly done away with.
News 6 reached out to the company’s customer service number to confirm those details. A representative explained that new guidance had been issued on Tuesday that only law enforcement would be allowed to openly carry in Publix stores.
The company’s online chatbot mirrored that response when asked about the grocer’s Open Carry rules.
“Publix kindly asks that only law enforcement openly carry firearms in our stores,” the chatbot states.
Publix originally announced it would allow customers to open carry firearms in its Florida stores back in September, when the state officially permitted the practice.
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The move came shortly after a landmark court ruling that found a statute prohibiting open carry in Florida violated the Second Amendment.
In a statement to News 6 after the initial decision, Publix officials said that the company follows all federal, state, and local laws.
“Treating customers with dignity and respect is a founding belief at Publix,” the company’s statement read. “In any instance where a customer creates a threatening, erratic or dangerous shopping experience — whether they are openly carrying a firearm or not — we will engage local law enforcement and protect our customers and associates."
News 6 has reached out to Publix for more details on the change and is awaiting a response. No additional information is available at this time.
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