A major victory for the families of the victims.
Alex Jones, host of controversial far-right American news service Infowars, has been found guilty by default in a number of lawsuits brought against him by the parents of eight people killed in the mass shooting incident that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut in 2012.
On Monday (15 November), a superior court in Connecticut ruled that Jones was guilty by default due to his refusal to surrender court-ordered documents including his personal financial records.
It had been alleged that Jones, 47, had directly profited from spreading conspiracy theories in relation to the 2012 tragedy, claiming that the incident was a government-fronted plot to harm America’s right to bear arms.
Jones had also repeatedly stated that the families of the victims were “actors” who willingly participated in a knowingly fraudulent scheme.
On 14 December, 2012, 20-year-old Adam Lanza, having already shot and killed his mother earlier in the day, murdered 26 people at Sandy Hook Elementary School, including 20 children and six adult members of staff.
Lanza would ultimately shoot himself as emergency services closed in.
Monday’s court outcome combines with three previous rulings in Texas, meaning that Jones has now been found guilty in all four defamation suits brought forth against him and Infowars.
According to the New York Times, it has yet to be calculated precisely how much Jones will have to now pay out in damages and court costs.
Juries from both states will decide this element at specific trials set to convene in 2022.
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