Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has been ordered pay $4.1 million to the parents of a child killed in the Sandy Hook massacre for repeatedly claiming the shooting was a hoax.
The far-right radio host and Infowars webcaster, 48, was sued by Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, who lost their six-year-old son Jesse Lewis in the 2012 atrocity when 20 pupils and six members of staff were shot dead.
Jones used his media platform to spread lies about the tragedy to millions of listeners, claiming it was staged by actors in a “false flag” plot by the media and activists to bring in more gun control.
At the end of a two-week trial in Austin, Texas, a jury ordered the conspiracy theorist to pay $4.1 million in compensatory damages and will now consider adding punative damages to Jones’ bill.