By Safia Samee Ali -
NBC News
TV and radio host Alex Jones must pay $965 million to the families of eight victims of the Sandy Hook shooting and an FBI agent (who responded to the attack) for damages caused by his lies and conspiracy theories about the massacre 2012, a Connecticut jury decided Wednesday.
Jones was charged with libel, intentionally causing emotional distress and violating the state's Unfair Trade Practices Act, after creating a false narrative that the mass shooting was a
hoax.
For years, Jones spread dubious stories on his radio show and on the Internet, questioning the veracity of the massacre.
He described the relatives of the victims as "actors".
Jones said the shooting was a hoax. Tyler Sizemore / AP
Twenty children and six educators were killed after a gunman entered Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Connecticut on December 14, 2012 and opened fire.
The trial took place in Waterbury, about 20 miles from Newton.
Jones had previously been found liable by a judge after refusing to hand over critical evidence before the trial began.
This six-member jury was only asked to decide how much Jones should pay.
This is the second trial
related to his Sandy Hook conspiracy theories.
Alex Jones ordered to pay more than $4,000,000 for his lies about the Sandy Hook massacre
Aug. 4, 202200:22
In August, a Texas jury sentenced Jones to pay nearly $50 million in damages to Scarlett Lewis and Neil Heisen.
More information soon...
