Giant Eagle, Kmart Among Stores Refusing to Sell Rolling Stone with Boston Bombing Suspect on Cover

Several local stores are refusing to sell the latest edition of Rolling Stone magazine that is stirring controversy over a cover photo of the Boston Marathon bombing suspect.

Giant Eagle, CVS, Walgreens, Kmart, Rite Aid and company-operated 7-Eleven stores have all announced they won't sell the magazine's August edition which releases Friday, July 19.

Critics say the soft, yellow-tinted photo depicts bombing suspect, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, in the same light as a young Bob Dylan or Jim Morrison, and glorifies him like a rock star.

Tsarnaev, 19, recently pleaded not guilty to 30 charges including murder and using weapons of mass destruction.

A Kmart spokesperson wrote in an e-mail to the Huffington Post that the retailer won't be selling copies of the magazine, "out of respect for those impacted by the events of April 15th."

Walgreens tweeted: "Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. Walgreens will not be selling this issue of Rolling Stone magazine."

CVS posted on Facebook, "CVS/pharmacy has decided not to sell the current issue of Rolling Stone featuring a cover photo of the Boston Marathon bombing suspect. As a company with deep roots in New England and a strong presence in Boston, we believe this is the right decision out of respect for the victims of the attack and their loved ones."

KDKA reports that Giant Eagle released this statement: "We are continually mindful of customer feedback we receive on any of the products we carry. Given the controversial nature of the August issue of Rolling Stone Magazine, the decision has been made to discontinue sales of the publication in our stores.”

The editors at Rolling Stone have released a statement defending the cover: "Our hearts go out to the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing, and our thoughts are always with them and their families. The cover story we are publishing this week falls within the traditions of journalism and Rolling Stone’s long-standing commitment to serious and thoughtful coverage of the most important political and cultural issues of our day. The fact that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is young, and in the same age group as many of our readers, makes it all the more important for us to examine the complexities of this issue and gain a more complete understanding of how a tragedy like this happens."


What do you think of Rolling Stone's decision to put Tsarnaev on the cover?

Join Patch for more community news or join us on Facebook and Twitter.