Sandy Hook Families Ask California Teacher Fund to Divest in Freedom Group

Family members of seven of the Sandy Hook shooting victims have written to the California Federation of Teachers asking it to get rid of its pension fund investments in the Freedom Group, a company that sells several gun models.

Freedom Group owns a number of brands including Bushmaster, the manufacturer of the AR-15 that was used in the Sandy Hook shooting.

The families accused Freedom Group’s bottom line of depending on more sales, less regulation and fewer safety measures.

“There is no question that it takes a deeply disturbed individual to open fire in an elementary school. But there is also no question that it takes a monstrosity of a weapon to murder 20 children and 6 educators in 264 seconds,” the families wrote, according to the Connecticut Post.

Many California teachers are upset that their pension fund is still invested in Freedom Group. The fund previously sold off shares of Sturm Ruger and Smith & Wesson, according to CNN.

The pension fund invests in three funds that are managed private equity firm Cerberus Capital. Those three funds have investments in Freedom Group.

Cerberus has been trying to find a buyer for the holdings ,said CAlSTRS pension fund spokesman Mike Sicilia.

The teachers plan to protest the fund’s meeting on April 2.

Read the full letter in the Post here.

Read the full CNN article here.

Image via CT State Police