Several corporate firms have decided to end partnerships with the National Rifle Association in the aftermath of the February 14 Florida school shooting that claimed 17 lives.
According to reports, Enterprise Holdings, First National Bank of Omaha, Symantec, Hertz and Avis have ended co-branding partnerships with the NRA as a movement to boycott NRA picks up momentum on social media.
On Thursday, the First National Bank of Omaha responded to a tweet saying "Please END your relationship with the @NRA. #NRABloodOnYourHands" with a message saying it has decided not to renew its contract with the rifle association.
It didn't not take long for other companies to follow suit. Enterprise Holdings, which owns and operates car rental agencies Alamo, Enterprise and National, also took to social media to announce it has discontinued its NRA member discount program.
It remains to be seen if this will have any lasting effect on the country’s gun debate.
This reaction is probably due to the student mobilization that followed the Florida shooting. Hundreds of students have engaged in walkouts and protests urging the Donald Trump government to enforce stricter gun laws.
Following the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, survivors such as Emma González and David Hogg became popular advocates for gun control.
"We certainly do not understand why it should be harder to make plans with friends on weekends than to buy an automatic or semi-automatic weapon," Gonzalez said in her now viral speech. "In Florida, to buy a gun you do not need a permit, you do not need a gun license, and once you buy it you do not need to register it. You do not need a permit to carry a concealed rifle or shotgun. You can buy as many guns as you want at one time."
She added: "We are going to be the kids you read about in textbooks. Not because we're going to be another statistic about mass shooting in America, but because we are going to be the last mass shooting."
Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in northwest of London, in July 2024. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Crossbow murderer found guilty of raping ex-girlfriend
A 26-YEAR-OLD man who murdered three women in a crossbow and stabbing attack has been found guilty of raping one of them, his ex-girlfriend, a British court ruled on Thursday.
Kyle Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in Bushey, northwest of London, in July 2024.
The attack led to a manhunt before Clifford was found injured hours later in a north London cemetery.
A jury at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday convicted Clifford of raping 25-year-old Louise Hunt before killing her.
His sentencing for all the crimes is scheduled for Tuesday.
Clifford had admitted to murdering Carol Hunt, 61, and her daughters Louise and Hannah, 28. He had also pleaded guilty to charges of false imprisonment and possessing offensive weapons but denied raping Louise.
During the trial, the court heard that after killing Carol Hunt, Clifford waited for an hour before attacking Louise, tying her up, raping her, and then killing her with a crossbow. He later killed Hannah when she returned home from work.
The prosecution described Clifford, a former soldier, as committing a "violent, sexual act of spite" and said he was "enraged" after Louise ended their 18-month relationship. They told the court that he had "carefully planned" the attack.
Less than 24 hours before the killings, Clifford had searched for a podcast by social media influencer Andrew Tate, according to the prosecution. They argued that the murders were driven by the "violent misogyny promoted" by Tate.
Justice Joel Bennathan called Clifford’s crimes "dreadful" and "almost unspeakable".
(With inputs from AFP)