Wal-Mart is responding to social media backlash after a picture showing a controversial display of firearms with a back-to-school sign in one of its U.S. stores surfaced on Wednesday.

The image shows a sign that reads “Own the school year like a hero” hanging over a glass gun case.

@ChayzzDevyant, one of the first people to tweet the image, told the company via Twitter the display was seen in store 1341, which is in Evansville, Indiana.  

The company took to Twitter to reassure the public that it “definitely wouldn’t allow this to happen in our stores.”

The retailer also said it is looking into how this “regrettable” situation would have happened.  

One communications expert says Wal-Mart has handled the situation well. 

"I think they've done a terrifc job of responding quickly," Bob Pickard, principal of Signal Leadership Communication told BNN in an interview Thursday. "This may look like a PR disaster. But the PR handling itself has not been disastrous. They have responded quickly - they have responded with feeling, with empathy, with almost an immediate apology." 

Wal-Mart confirmed Wednesday via Twitter the sign has been taken down.