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Alex Jones says he "now understands it was irresponsible" to deny Sandy Hook shooting

Alex Jones, "infowars" host, speaks outside of the Dirksen building of Capitol Hill in Washington, Sept. 5, 2018. Jones defied a Connecticut judge's order to show up for a deposition in Texas, Thursday, March 24, 2022, in a case brought by relatives of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting who sued Jones for calling the massacre a hoax, according to the families' lawyer.
Jose Luis Magana
/
AP
Alex Jones, "infowars" host, speaks outside of the Dirksen building of Capitol Hill in Washington, Sept. 5, 2018. Jones defied a Connecticut judge's order to show up for a deposition in Texas, Thursday, March 24, 2022, in a case brought by relatives of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting who sued Jones for calling the massacre a hoax, according to the families' lawyer.

Sandy Hook parents and their attorneys now have access to two years of texts from conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, which allegedly include texts about the shooting that Jones denied he sent while under oath.

An attorney for the families confronted Jones about the texts during a cross-examination.

“Mr. Jones, did you know that twelve days ago, your attorneys messed up and sent me an entire digital copy of your entire cell phone with every text message you’ve sent for the past two years?" said attorney Mark Bankston. "And that is how I know you lied to me when you said you didn’t have text messages about Sandy Hook.”

Bankston asked Jones if he knew what perjury was. Perjury is a criminal offense whose punishment can include prison time. Judge Maya Guerra Gamble has also chastised Jones for lying under oath.

The families are suing Jones for defamation for claims he made on his online talk show. Jones has already lost the case by default, and the trial will decide how much he pays in damages.

Jones: Shooting was "100% Real"

Jones again conceded the shooting was real in the defamation penalty trial brought by parents of victims.

Jones said he now understands it was irresponsible to claim the shooting was a hoax and that parents whose children died were actors. He blamed the media for not letting him "take it back."

The parents of 6-year-old Jesse Lewis, who died in the shooting, testified against Jones. They said they’ve faced death threats, abuse and harassment. Lewis’s father said he’d been confronted by strangers and his home and car have been shot at. They have been in isolation with security since the trial began this week in Texas.

The families are suing Jones for defamation for claims he made on his online talk show. Jones has already lost the case by default, and the trial will decide how much he pays in damages. Families have asked for $150 million. Jones asked the court to make him pay just $1.

Davis Dunavin loves telling stories, whether on the radio or around the campfire. He started in Missouri and ended up in Connecticut, which, he'd like to point out, is the same geographic trajectory taken by Mark Twain.