????私募股權(quán)公司賽伯勒斯資本管理公司（Cerberus Capital Management）本周早些時(shí)候宣布，公司計(jì)劃出售槍支制造商自由集團(tuán)（Freedom Group）的股份。上周，美國(guó)小學(xué)槍擊案嫌犯所用的.223“大毒蛇”步槍就是這家公司生產(chǎn)的。

????賽伯勒斯公司的聲明全文如下：

????2012年12月14日，在康涅狄格州紐敦市桑迪胡克小學(xué)（the Sandy Hook Elementary School）發(fā)生的悲劇讓我們非常震驚，深感悲痛。我們無(wú)法想象這次慘絕人寰的事件中，遇難者家屬和朋友承受了多么巨大的痛苦。任何語(yǔ)言或行動(dòng)都無(wú)法減少此次暴行的罪惡，也無(wú)法減輕人們心中遭受的痛苦。

????2006年，賽伯勒斯資本管理公司的附屬公司對(duì)自由集團(tuán)進(jìn)行了一筆金融投資。自由集團(tuán)從未通過(guò)槍支展銷(xiāo)會(huì)或其他方式直接向消費(fèi)者出售武器或彈藥。只有獲得聯(lián)邦許可的槍械經(jīng)銷(xiāo)商遵照適用的法律法規(guī)方可銷(xiāo)售槍支或彈藥。我們認(rèn)為，不論是自由集團(tuán)或是任何一家公司或個(gè)人，均無(wú)法阻止這種愚蠢的暴行，或者非法使用、采購(gòu)槍支和彈藥的行為。很明顯，桑迪胡克小學(xué)發(fā)生的悲劇是全國(guó)槍支管制大辯論的“分水嶺”，它使辯論達(dá)到了前所未有的激烈程度。辯論的重點(diǎn)是如何在公共安全與憲法第二修正案賦予的權(quán)利范圍之間實(shí)現(xiàn)平衡。作為一家公司，我們是投資者，而不是國(guó)會(huì)議員或政策制定者。我們的職責(zé)是代表客戶進(jìn)行投資，我們的客戶包括消防員、教師、警察和其他市政員工與工會(huì)的退休金計(jì)劃、捐助基金和其他機(jī)構(gòu)與個(gè)人。在辯論中表明立場(chǎng)不是我們的職責(zé)，我們也不應(yīng)該左右或影響槍支管制政策辯論。這應(yīng)該是聯(lián)邦政府和各州立法者的工作。

????但作為一家公司，我們也有能做的事情。我們決定立即啟動(dòng)正式程序，出售在自由集團(tuán)的股份。我們將聘用一位財(cái)務(wù)顧問(wèn)，負(fù)責(zé)設(shè)計(jì)和執(zhí)行出售自由集團(tuán)權(quán)益的過(guò)程。之后，我們將把所有資本返還投資者。我們相信，這一決定能夠使我們履行對(duì)投資者的義務(wù)，保護(hù)投資者委托給我公司的權(quán)益不被卷入全國(guó)辯論。這個(gè)辯論工作應(yīng)該交由承擔(dān)正式法律責(zé)任和公共責(zé)任的人進(jìn)行。

????謹(jǐn)向在此次悲劇事件中受影響的家庭和社區(qū)表示最深切的同情和最誠(chéng)摯的哀悼。

????需要說(shuō)明的是，這并不是賽伯勒斯公司的一項(xiàng)財(cái)務(wù)決策。

????Private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management announced early this morning that it plans to sell Freedom Group, a firearms conglomerate that produced the .223 Bushmaster rifle used in last week's elementary school massacre.

????Here is the firm's statement, in full:

????We were shocked and deeply saddened by the events that took place at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT on December 14, 2012. We cannot comprehend the losses suffered by the families and friends of those killed by the unthinkable crimes committed that day. No words or actions can lessen the enormity of this event or make a dent in the pain that was inflicted on so many.

????In 2006 affiliates of Cerberus Capital Management, L.P. made a financial investment in Freedom Group. Freedom Group does not sell weapons or ammunition directly to consumers, through gun shows or otherwise. Sales are made only to federally licensed firearms dealers and distributors in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. We do not believe that Freedom Group or any single company or individual can prevent senseless violence or the illegal use or procurement of firearms and ammunition.

????It is apparent that the Sandy Hook tragedy was a watershed event that has raised the national debate on gun control to an unprecedented level. The debate essentially focuses on the balance between public safety and the scope of the Constitutional rights under the Second Amendment. As a Firm, we are investors, not statesmen or policy makers. Our role is to make investments on behalf of our clients who are comprised of the pension plans of firemen, teachers, policemen and other municipal workers and unions, endowments, and other institutions and individuals. It is not our role to take positions, or attempt to shape or influence the gun control policy debate. That is the job of our federal and state legislators.

????There are, however, actions that we as a firm can take. Accordingly, we have determined to immediately engage in a formal process to sell our investment in Freedom Group. We will retain a financial advisor to design and execute a process to sell our interests in Freedom Group, and we will then return that capital to our investors. We believe that this decision allows us to meet our obligations to the investors whose interests we are entrusted to protect without being drawn into the national debate that is more properly pursued by those with the formal charter and public responsibility to do so.

????Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and communities impacted by this tragic and devastating event.

????To be clear, this is not a financial decision by Cerberus.

????Freedom Group's value today is artificially low, judging by the plunging stock prices of publicly-traded gun makers like Smith & Wesson (SWHC) and Sturm Ruger & Co. (RGR). Moreover, it's difficult to imagine that another private equity firm would agree to buy the company from Cerberus -- which had tried to take Freedom Group public several years back, but was stymied by weakening sales and management shakeups. My best guess is that a foreign firearms company will be the eventual buyer at a major discount.