Aug 2 (Reuters) – U.S. conspiracy theorist Alex Jones told a Texas jury on Tuesday that he never intended to harm the parents of a boy killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre when he claimed the shooting was a hoax, and said his comments were taken out of context.
Jones, founder of the radio and webcast show Infowars, is on trial to determine how much he must pay for spreading falsehoods about the killing of 20 children and six staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., on 14 of December 2012. Jones has since acknowledged that the shooting took place.
“I never intentionally tried to hurt you,” Jones said, addressing the parents. “I didn’t even say your name until this case came to court. I didn’t know who you were until this came up.”
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Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, the parents of murdered 6-year-old Jesse Lewis, are seeking up to $150 million from Jones and his company, Free Speech Systems LLC.
Jesse Lewis’ mother, Scarlett, addressed Jones directly on Tuesday after he questioned Heslin’s credibility during a morning show.
“I know you believe me, but you’re going to leave this room and say it again on your show,” he said. “Do you have the ability to put yourself in my shoes? Do you have empathy?”
Alex Jones enters the courtroom in front of Scarlett Lewis and Neil Heslin, the parents of 6-year-old Sandy Hook shooting victim Jesse Lewis, at the Travis County Courthouse in Austin, Texas, the United States, on 28 July 2022. Briana Sanchez/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
Heslin told jurors Tuesday that he had endured years of “hell” as a result of Jones’ falsehoods.
“I can’t even begin to describe the last nine and a half years of hell that I have had to endure because of the negligence and recklessness of Alex Jones and the propaganda he has placed for his own profit and success,” he stated. Heslin. Tuesday.
A lawyer for Jones said he had already paid a price after being taken off the platform in 2018 and losing millions of viewers.
The defamation suit in Austin, Texas, where Infowars is based, is one of several filed by families of victims who say Jones’ followers harassed them as a result of his false claims.
Free Speech Systems filed for bankruptcy in Texas court last week. Jones said during a Monday broadcast that the filing will help the company stay on the air while it appeals.
Sandy Hook gunman Adam Lanza, 20, used a Remington Bushmaster rifle to carry out the massacre. It ended when Lanza killed himself to the sound of approaching police sirens.
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Report by Jack Queen; Editing by Noeleen Walder, Mark Porter and Howard Goller
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