It was long before Dec. 14, 2012, the day a 20-year-old gunman killed her 6-year-old son, Jesse, and 25 others at Sandy Hook Elementary in one of the worst mass murders in U.S history. "I can't even describe the last nine and a half years, the living hell that I and others have had to endure because of the recklessness and negligence of Alex Jones," Heslin said. I had one up for five years that Jessie and I four years Jessie and I set up and never got a chance to decorate. Safia Samee Ali is a reporter for NBC News Digital, based in Chicago. Parents David and Francine Wheeler received a combined $99 million award, mother Nicole Hockley was awarded $73.6 million while her former husband Ian Hockley received $81.6 million. Left: Neil Heslin, father of 6-year-old Sandy Hook shooting victim Jesse Lewis, testifies in court for the trial against Alex Jones, in Austin, U.S. Aug 2, 2022. Jesse was among the victims. That is a blessing. The pioneering heart operation that only takes an hour and doesn't leave a scar is performed on first Briton. Scarlett Lewis, Jesse's mother, says she was not surprised to learn that her son's last act was to save his classmates, Adam Lanza killed himself after murdering 20 children and six teachers. The Jesse Lewis Choose Love program on social and emotional learning has reached more than two million students in more than 100 countries. Often speaking directly to InfoWars host Alex Jones, the mother of a 6-year-old killed in the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School testified Tuesday that the right-wing conspiracy theorists lies that the attack was a hoax have left her in fear for her life and compounded her grief. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, whose son Matt Blumenthal was one of the attorneys representing the families, commended the families. The time since . "We recommit ourselves to having the courage that Jesse showed on that day and to spread his message of nurturing, healing love," she adds. I have realized how incredibly powerful we are, she says. Lt. Gov. Heslin and Lewis suffer from a form of post-traumatic stress disorder that comes from constant trauma, similar to that endured by soldiers in war zones or child abuse victims, a forensic psychologist who studied their cases and met with them testified Monday. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Courts in Texas and Connecticut have already found Jones liable for defamation for his portrayal of the Sandy Hook massacre as a hoax involving actors aimed at increasing gun control. Jesse's older brother, J.T., avoids the spotlight, but their mother Scarlett says J.T. Nearly a decade after the Sandy Hook massacre, a father of one of the victims delivered tearful testimony against Alex Jones, the conspiracy theorist who profited off depicting his dead son as a "child actor.". RICHARD LITTLEJOHN: What do we want? I knew immediately, if Adam Lanza had felt nurturing, healing love, this would not have happened, Lewis says. "If you are out there and you are one of Alex Jones' audience members and you are considering giving him money, I want you to know that based on the jury's verdict today that is not a very good bet," Mattei said outside the courthouse on Wednesday. "Nurturing" means loving, kindness and gratitude; "Healing" means forgiveness; and "Love" means compassion-in-action. Evan Vucci / AP file Link . 's courage in moving on and using his pain to help others inspires her daily. They described how Jesse was known for telling classmates to "run!" Jesse Lewisohn (1872-1918), American financier; Jessie Penn-Lewis (1861-1927), Welsh evangelical speaker After his murder at Sandy Hook, Lewis said, a lot of people blamed Adam Lanza's mom (who was also his first murder victim), but as a single parent herself, Lewis was struck by the similarities in their lives. 'My son existed': Jesse playing in the backyard. "He would just create forts everywhere," she explains. Nurturing, healing, love: How Jesse Lewis' final chalkboard message Social and emotional learning, or SEL, is making its way into schools across the country. [1][2][3][4] Choose Love programming is being taught in over 10,000 schools, in all 50 states and over 120 countries, serving over 3 million children globally. Plaintiff Robbie Parker drops his head in his hands and fellow plaintiffs Willian Sherlach, left, and Francine Wheeler lend emotional support as the jury verdict awards are read in the Alex Jones defamation trial at Superior Court in Waterbury, Conn. on Wednesday, October 12, 2022. He also killed his mother earlier in the day and committed suicide as police arrived at the school building. ", At one point, Lewis asked Jones: "Do you think I'm an actor?". [5] It is the only organization that offers free lifespan Character Social Emotional Development programming, with consistent messaging for parents and caregivers as well as for communities and businesses. Two Sandy Hook families file lawsuit against Alex Jones, Infowars Sandy Hook families awarded $965 million from Alex Jones in CT trial: 'Truth matters', Here are your picks for the Best of the Capital Region 2023. The next step is for Judge Barbara Bellis to make a ruling on punitive damages at a future hearing. She stopped short. He has already been found liable for defamation by courts in Texas and Connecticut for how he portrayed the mass shooting as a hoax. She didnt want her little boy to be cold. Father of 6-year-old killed in Sandy Hook shooting testifies Alex Jones The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. The 19-year-old brother of a Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victim announced Monday that he will run for state Senate in Connecticut, challenging the incumbent who he said never returned a phone call his grieving mother made after the mass shooting. In an Infowars show from January 13, 2015, Jones told a caller that "Sandy Hook is a synthetic completely fake with actors, in my view, manufactured.". The new evidence also suggests that Lanza might have started in Soto's room. "'Watch your back, we're watching you, we're coming after you,'" Alissa Parker said as she listed some of the comments. "What was said about me and Sandy Hook itself resonates around the world," Heslin said. Sandy Hook shooting: Scarlett Lewis's road to healing - Today I just dont have it in me.. Last September, Guerra admonished Jones in her default judgement over his failure to turn over documents requested by the Sandy Hook families. Alex Jones ordered to pay $45.2 million in punitive damages: Live . Television camera tripods are set up in preparation for a jury verdict in the Alex Jones defamation trial at Superior Court in Waterbury, Conn. on Wednesday, October 12, 2022. 'Leading through uncertainty' is the focus of a Sandy Hook nonprofit's The penalty is in addition to the . [15], In 2014, the Movement launched its Choose Love for Schools Program, a no-cost program for Pre-K through Grade 12 that provides lessons that delve into the Choose Love Formula to help educators and students create a safer, more connected school culture. I guess it gets more distant and its not as raw, but its always an open wound. "You don't know what they were going to do.". "Their mom asked if her kids could talk to me, because they were having a really hard time," she recalls. "It's fear for your life," Scarlett Lewis said. One thing that hasnt changed is Jesses death. Jesse and 19 of his schoolmates and six adults were killed on Friday, Dec. 14, at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown when a 20-year-old man shot them with a semiautomatic rifle. Fighting back tears and finally given the chance to confront conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, the parents of a 6-year-old killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting described being put through a "living hell" of death threats, harassment and ongoing trauma over the last decade caused by Jones using his media platforms to push claims that it was all a hoax. ", Nobody should ever have to endure the kind of harassment and persecution that Alex Jones caused, especially the families of those killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School," he said. Youre still on your show, today, trying to say that I am implying that Im an actress. Adam reloaded and shot him in the head,' said his mother Scarlett Lewis, who learned details of the events inside the classroom from investigators. "The Sandy Hook families deserve every dollar coming to them from Alex Jones," he tweeted. With his last breath, Scarlett Lewis's son saved lives at Sandy Hook. She almost never saw them. Jones was absent from court duringHeslins testimony, but went live on his show andmocked Heslin, calling him slow and on the spectrum. He said the father was being manipulated by some very bad people.. "Were an evidence-based movement.". She says she always feels her son with her. and I try to honor Jesses memory together by having a lot of fun, Scarlett says. started an organization called Newtown Helps Rwanda and raises money to send orphaned Rwandan genocide survivors to college. Heslin said he didn't know if the Sandy Hook hoax conspiracy theory originated with Jones, but it was Jones who "lit the match and started the fire" with an online platform and broadcast that reached millions worldwide. Lewis took the witness stand in the defamation trial against conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and his media company for his repeated claims that the Sandy Hook massacre was "staged." If Jesse could use the last moments of his life to save his friends, I certainly can get up every morning and do everything in my power to ensure we have a safer, more peaceful, loving world. You dont think you have that courage, but you do. The jury heard a death threat sent via telephone message to another Sandy Hook family. "I think about that bravery every single day," Lewis says. Always. Noah Pozner and Jesse Lewis were in separate classrooms. Im entering the fray because it is only with real leadership that Connecticut will see change that it is so desperate for.". At stake in the trial is how much Jones will pay. 10 Years After Sandy Hook: Remembering Jesse Lewis He also blamed the corporate media several times during his testimony, saying that they lie and misrepresent truths, leading him to question everything reported. "People say, 'You should be the ones with a bullet hole in your head.'". I know you know that And yet you're going to leave this courthouse and say it again on your show. Parents of Sandy Hook victim testify in Alex Jones' defamation trial Lewis accused him of repeatedly implying on his show Infowars that she and other victims and their families are actors. I buried my son. Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement - Wikipedia which likely saved lives. I didnt like it, I knew I couldnt change it, but I wasnt going to let it ruin my life or destroy my life anymore than it already has., Its really important to stay busy, keep your mind active, he says, even though you always find yourself in the distance a lot just thinking about Jesse., 9 Years After Sandy Hook, Families Share Sorrow and How They're Keeping Victims' Legacies Alive, Sandy Hook Families Reject Alex Jones' 'Desperate' Offer to Settle Defamation Case, Sandy Hook Dad Responds to Texas School Shooting: 'Sadly, I Know the Unspeakable Pain', Barack Obama Addresses Uvalde Shooting Nearly 10 Years After Sandy Hook: 'Our Country Is Paralyzed', Mom of Unsolved Murder Victim Will Wear Orange this Weekend to 'Prevent the Next Senseless Gun Death', President Joe Biden Addresses Shooting at Texas Elementary School: 'I Am Sick and Tired of It', Senator Chris Murphy Asks Lawmakers 'What Are We Doing?' Sandy Hook Siblings, 10 Years Later, Reflect On Love and Loss - Today In a separate trial, Jones was ordered to pay nearly $1 billion to Sandy Hook families and an FBI first responder. When you come back to testify tomorrow, one more time, no asides, the judge said. He and Lewis described people shooting at their home and car, harassment and even receiving threatening emails. Scarlett Lewis remembers her son Jesse, murdered at age 6, as always happy, loud and full of energy. YouTube, Facebook and Twitter have all removed InfoWars and Jones from their platforms. Easter or Fourth of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, he just loved the holidays, one as much as the other, says Neil Heslin of his son. Keir Starmer braces for civil service verdict on Sue Gray's recruitment as his chief of staff today saying Ed Sheeran devastated after his beloved Irish grandmother who inspired one of his hit songs dies. Pregnant Rihanna looks like a bride in elaborate white dress as she FINALLY Anne Hathaway brings back the Versace safety pin dress at the Met Gala three decades after Liz Hurley Bill's in Vogue! These three words are the foundational values of the movement, with their individual meaning forming a formula for choosing love. The trial is just one of several Jones faces. It has been nine years since Jesses murder. "They are beautiful people, they are good friends under the most horrendous situation you could imagine. With help from friends, Lewis founded the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement and combined the most effective elements of SEL school programs into one curriculum, and made it free. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. And J.T. Alex Jones engaged in an active, for-profit campaign to defame and harass a first responder and the families of Sandy Hook," she said in a statement.
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