Florida Teachers' Pension Fund Invested In Company Producing Weapon Used In Shooting

In a baffling twist concerning the Florida school shooting that claimed 17 lives, the parents and teachers of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland might find it surprising to learn their pension fund helped fund the company that manufactured the weapon used to kill the students and possibly fund other firearms industry, Bloomberg reported.

The state pension fund held more than 41,000 shares in American Outdoor Brands Co formerly known as Smith and Wesson. According to the report, a securities filing document relating to the Florida Retirement System Pension Plan states the 41,129 shares it had was worth at least half a million dollars.

In addition to Smith and Wesson the pension fund also dabbled in stocks issued by other assault rifle and ammunitions manufacturing companies, Sturm & Ruger Co., Vista Outdoor Inc. and Olin Corp.

Nikolas Cruz, a former student of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, gunned down 17 people in the school armed with a rifle produced by the American Outdoors Brands Co on Feb. 14.

In 2015 and 2016, Cruz posted pictures of weapons on Instagram expressed his intention to purchase the weapon, reports said.

"I plan on getting this but I need more information on it so if someone could give advice on how much I'm spending and background checks please to god let me know," Cruz wrote.

Cruz was suspended from the school last year after he reportedly threatened students.

"We were told last year that he wasn’t allowed on campus with a backpack on him," Jim Gard, a math teacher who taught Cruz last year, told the Miami Herald.

"There were problems with him last year threatening students, and I guess he was asked to leave campus," he added.

"We received no warnings. Potentially there could have been signs out there. But we didn't have any warning or phone calls or threats that were made," Gard said.

But despite the signs Cruz was allowed to purchase a weapon.

Following the 2012 Sandy Hook elementary school shooting that killed 26 elementary school students and teachers in California, CalSTRS the California Public Employees’ Retirement System sold off their stakes in both Sturm and Ruger and Smith and Wesson.

A report states half of the 405,000 participants in the Florida retirement plan belonged to education institutions. Although the pension plan involves stocks issued by firearms manufacturers, the retirement plans investment in the fire arms industry is a trickle compared to the large portfolio of the plan which is worth $154 billion.

The survivors who escaped the shooting have been demanding stricter gun control measures. They plan on visiting the states capital Tallahassee Wednesday to call for tighter gun controls.

A Florida State Board Administration (SBA) spokesperson, John Kuczwanski, in an emailed statement said: “As fiduciaries, the SBA must act solely in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries.”

“As primarily passive investors, we essentially own the entire market subject to any legal limitations,” he added.