Sandy Hook Victims' Families Awarded $1 Billion in Alex Jones Case
Landmark verdict holds conspiracy theorist liable for spreading misinformation
families of eight victims to receive compensation
NEWTOWN, CT – In a landmark verdict, conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and his company, Free Speech Systems, have been ordered to pay nearly $1 billion to the family members of eight victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
The verdict comes after a years-long legal battle in which the families argued that Jones's repeated claims that the shooting was a hoax had caused them immense emotional distress.
In his broadcasts, Jones falsely claimed that the massacre, in which 26 people were killed, was staged by the government to justify gun control measures. He also accused the victims' families of being "crisis actors." These claims have been repeatedly debunked by law enforcement and independent investigations.
The jury found that Jones acted with "actual malice" in making these claims, which means that he knew or should have known that they were false.
The $1 billion award includes $935 million in compensatory damages and $45.2 million in punitive damages. The families of each victim will receive approximately $120 million.
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