Walmart apologizes after viral photo appears to show guns under back-to-school sign

Walmart has apologized after a viral photo seemed to show guns displayed under a back-to-school sign at a store.

According to KFSM, Twitter user @ismailkidd posted a photo Wednesday of a gun display that appeared to be under a banner that read, "Own the school year like a hero."

The image quickly went viral and sparked criticism on social media.

CNN reported that Walmart spokesman Charles Crowson said Wednesday evening that the company was still trying to identify the store where the photo was taken.

Earlier Wednesday, however, Walmart tweeted that the store was in Evansville, Indiana, and apologized, calling the display "horrible" and saying, "We removed the sign as soon as we found out.".

The company also identified the store number – 1341 – after a skeptical Twitter user expressed disbelief that the store had removed the banner.

Crowson told CNN that those posts were incorrect.

Leeanna May, who said she snapped the controversial photo, disputed Crowson's claim in an interview with The Washington Post. She said she saw the display at the Evansville store Wednesday morning and alerted workers there.

"People don't seem to honestly care," she told the Post.

May tweeted the photo but later made her account private. Walmart replied, asking where the store was located, then added that "store manager Christina has removed the sign from the display."

"Thanks again for alerting us to this," Walmart tweeted.

Cox Media Group