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Alex Jones must pay Sandy Hook parents $4M, admits shooting was ‘100% real’


Infowars host Alex Jones backpedaled on his claims that the Sandy Hook shooting was a hoax during his defamation trial this week. On Thursday, a jury ruled he must pay more than $4 million to the parents of a victim of the 2012 massacre.

The shooting, which left 20 students and six faculty members dead at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, is the deadliest classroom school shooting in U.S. history. Multiple families have sued Jones and his company, Free Speech Systems, after Jones told his audience the shooting was a hoax involving actors aimed at increasing gun control. In every case, he has been found liable by default.

Jones admitted in court this week that the shooting was a real event.

“It’s 100% real, as I said on the radio yesterday,” Jones said. “As I said here yesterday. It’s 100% real.”

Parents Scarlett Lewis and Neil Heslin were seeking $150 million in damages — from both Jones and his media company, Infowars.

Infowars’ parent company, Free Speech Systems, filed for bankruptcy in late July.

During the trial, one of the family’s attorneys revealed he possessed Jones’s phone history. Jones’s attorney had sent it, accidentally. The phone documents revealed Jones had lied and contained Infowars’ finance information.

SHANNON LONGWORTH: REMEMBER THE GUY WHO CLAIMED THE SANDY HOOK SHOOTING WAS A HOAX AND CALLED THE CHILDREN CRISIS ACTORS?

HERE’S ALEX JONES NOW.

ALEX JONES: “IT’S 100 PERCENT REAL, AS I SAID ON THE RADIO YESTERDAY. AS I SAID HERE YESTERDAY. IT’S 100 PERCENT REAL.”

LONGWORTH: SO, HOW DID WE GET HERE?

THE SHOOTING HAPPENED IN 2012.

SINCE THEN, PARENTS OF THE CHILDREN WHO DIED HAVE SUED JONES FOR DEFAMATION–AND HE WAS FOUND LIABLE.

NOW, THEY’RE SEEKING $150 MILLION IN DAMAGES–FROM BOTH JONES AND HIS MEDIA COMPANY,

INFOWARS.

INFOWARS’ PARENT COMPANY, FREE SPEECH SYSTEMS, FILED FOR BANKRUPTCY JUST LAST WEEK.

AND THE VICTIMS’ FAMILIES ARE CONCERNED JONES WILL USE THAT TO AVOID PAYING FOR DAMAGES.

MEANWHILE, THE FAMILY’S ATTORNEYS IN THIS CIVIL CASE WERE ACCIDENTALLY GIFTED ALL OF JONES’S TEXT HISTORY.

FOR MORE, CHECK BACK FOR PART 2.