Walmart had a new headache with its drone deliveries: gun owners shooting them out of the air

A DroneUp hub leader operates a drone at a Walmart Supercenter in Clermont, Florida. — Getty Images/The New York Times

Shannon Nash, CFO of Alphabet’s drone delivery company Wing, called 2024 “the year of the drone”, as retailers like Walmart and Amazon trial the grocery-carrying unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). Not everyone agrees.

Florida resident Dennis Winn admitted to shooting down a Walmart drone with a 9-millimeter handgun last week near his home, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. A bullet hole was found in the drone’s cargo. Winn was charged with shooting at an aircraft, criminal mischief damage over US$1,000 (RM4,712), and discharging a firearm in public or residential property, the sheriff’s department said.