Bread and bullets: Some southern supermarkets now sell ammo out of vending machines

Some grocery stores in the southern U.S. are now selling ammunition through AI-powered vending machines, provided by American Rounds LLC. These machines, installed in supermarkets across Alabama, Oklahoma, and Texas, aim to offer a safer method for purchasing ammo compared to online or off-the-shelf sales. However, experts are concerned about the increased accessibility of ammunition, especially in a country with prevalent gun violence.

The machines are heavily secured and use facial recognition technology to verify customers’ identities and ages, ensuring compliance with federal laws that restrict ammo sales based on age and criminal history. Despite this, critics argue that the machines cannot assess customers’ mental states or prevent sales to those who shouldn’t possess ammunition. Gun violence prevention advocates, like Kris Brown from the Brady Center, call for the removal of these machines from grocery stores due to safety risks.

CEO Grant Magers claims the machines provide the safest method for ammo sales, but acknowledges the controversy. The company plans to expand its reach, with requests for machines from across the U.S., and aims to include additional services like hunting licenses in the future.

Source: NPR