Walmart apologises for sign above gun rack telling people to 'own the school year like a hero'

The retailer, which is the biggest seller of guns in the US, swiftly condemned the display as 'truly awful' and 'horrible'

Walmart has apologised for a sign in one of its stores that appeared to market guns as items for school children.

A photo posted by a shocked customer on Twitter showed a cabinet containing rifles displayed below a sign that read: “Own the school year like a hero”. The sign was shaped as an arrow pointing down towards the gun cabinet.

Given the history of high school mass shootings in the US, many took offence to the apparent message. The photo went viral on social media on Wednesday, prompting a flurry of shocked and angry responses. One Twitter user demanded that the retailer “explain this”, while another asked, “What are you suggesting?”

Walmart swiftly condemned the display as “truly awful” and “horrible” and said on Wednesday that it was working to discover which stores had put up the exhibit.

Walmart initially claimed to have identified the store location but a company spokesman told CNN Money that it was a mistake, and that the company is still searching for the sign.

The retailer’s official Twitter feed stated that a manager at the store where the sign had allegedly appeared “confirmed there was no such sign” there.

It is unclear whether the sign was placed above the gun rack as a prank or mistakenly put there by a Walmart employee.

Walmart is the largest seller of firearms in the US and displays guns visibly on the shop floor to all customers, including to children.