Mississippi Walmart ousts 3 men with rifle, handgun, machete

Published 10:39 am Wednesday, March 21, 2018

COLUMBUS (AP) — The states of Georgia and Mississippi have open-carry laws, meaning licensed gun owners can go around in public displaying their weapons. But businesses still have the right to prohibit weapons on their property.

That’s what happened in a Mississippi Walmart Monday night after three Georgia men went shopping while openly carrying an M-4 assault rifle, a handgun and a machete.

The Commercial Dispatch reports that a Walmart employee called police and then managers asked the men to leave once officers arrived.

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Columbus Police Chief Fred Shelton says they left without incident. The Walmart store didn’t have a sign saying weapons are prohibited, but the chief says that doesn’t matter. He says anyone seeing someone carrying a weapon should call police and let officers determine if they pose a threat.