New York (CNN Business) Dick's Sporting Goods considered stopping all gun sales in early 2018. A shooting at the high school in Parkland, Florida, had killed 17 people. And the company was shocked into action.

"We did have a conversation about that," CEO Ed Stack told CNN Business earlier this year. "At the time we felt it was a part of our DNA and we should stay in it. So many people in the country are law-abiding citizens who use firearms to hunt, to use from a recreation standpoint. We didn't think it was right to exit the business completely."

That could be changing. Dick's, one of the country's biggest gun retailers, has been quietly testing the water on whether to pull out entirely from what it calls the "hunt" business, including firearms. An announcement with the results of the test is expected Thursday, when it is set to report quarterly results.

America is again debating gun control after a recent wave of shootings — including one on August 3 at a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas. The debate has drawn new scrutiny on the legal sale of guns.

Walmart WMT Whenreported earnings on August 15, CEO Doug McMillon said the company supports stronger gun measures , though he stopped short of endorsing a specific plan.

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