Bank Of America To Engage Gun Manufactures On Assault Weapons

Bank of America added itself to the growing list of companies seeking to curtail assault weapons after a teenaged shooter on Feb. 14 used an AR-15-style rifle to kill 17 people at a Florida high school. In a statement released Saturday, Bank of America said that it would "examine what we can do to help end the tragedy of mass shootings."

"[A]n immediate step we’re taking is to engage the limited number of clients we have that manufacture assault weapons for non-military use to understand what they can contribute to this shared responsibility," the statement read, according to Reuters.

Bank of America did not release the names of its gun manufacturing clients nor did it elaborate on its plan to hold gun makers accountable. But the Charlotte, North Carolina-based banking giant was the latest high-profile company to announce a strategy since the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

BlackRock, a major investment firm that reportedly holds shares in gun companies, also said that it looked to address gun manufacturers to "understand" their response to recent gun-related deaths.

"Even if we disagree with management, we focus on engaging with the company and understanding how they are responding to society’s expectations of them," BlackRock spokesperson Ed Sweeney said in a statement Thursday.

Meanwhile, a slew of companies have reportedly severed ties with the National Rifle Association (NRA) including Metlife, several car rental companies and United and Delta airlines, CNN reported.

The news comes as national conversations surrounding gun control have pressured companies to examine ties with gun makers that manufacture assault weapons.

The NRA released a statement on Saturday in response to businesses that have cut ties to the gun industry, calling the decision a "shameful display of political and civic cowardice."

"In time, these brands will be replaced by others who recognize that patriotism and determined commitment to Constitutional freedoms are characteristics of a marketplace they very much want to serve," the NRA said.