Kroger has called on customers to refrain from openly carrying firearms in its stores where state laws allow it, joining Walmart in changing its policy after seven people were killed in a Texas shooting on Saturday. “Kroger is respectfully asking that customers no longer openly carry firearms into our stores, other than authorized law enforcement officers,” Jessica Adelman, group vice president of corporate affairs, told CNBC in an emailed statement Tuesday. “We are also joining those encouraging our elected leaders to pass laws that will strengthen background checks and remove weapons from those who have been found to pose a risk for violence,” the supermarket chain said. The retailer said it recognizes “the growing chorus of Americans who are no longer comfortable with the status quo” after a string of mass shootings in recent months. The announcement came after the National Rifle Association reacted swiftly to Walmart’s decision to limit ammunition sales on Tuesday, accusing the retail giant of “victimizing law-abiding Americans” and suggesting gun owners will boycott by going to “other retailers who are more supportive of America’s fundamental freedoms.”