Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones testified Wednesday that he now understands it was irresponsible of him to declare the Sandy Hook Elementary Faculty bloodbath a hoax and that he now believes it was “100% actual.”

Talking a day after the dad and mom of a 6-year-old boy who was killed within the 2012 assault testified concerning the struggling, loss of life threats and harassment they’ve endured due to what Jones has trumpeted on his media platforms, the Infowars host advised a Texas courtroom that he positively thinks the assault occurred.

“Particularly since I’ve met the dad and mom. It is 100% actual,” Jones stated at his trial to find out how a lot he and his media firm, Free Speech Techniques, owe for defaming Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis. Their son Jesse Lewis was among the many 20 college students and 6 educators who have been killed within the assault in Newtown, Connecticut, which was the deadliest faculty taking pictures in American historical past.

However Heslin and Lewis stated Tuesday that an apology would not suffice and that Jones wanted to be held accountable for repeatedly spreading falsehoods concerning the assault. They’re in search of at the least $150 million.

Testimony within the trial, which is in its second week, concluded at round noon Wednesday.

Throughout closing arguments Wednesday afternoon, Jones’ lawyer Andino Reynal stated the plaintiffs did not show that his shopper’s actions and phrases brought about precise hurt to Heslin and Lewis. He stated it is honest to deduce that another person “weaponized” what Jones has stated about Sandy Hook and “satisfied them that Alex Jones was liable for their grief.”

Jones was the one one who testified in his personal protection. His lawyer requested him if he now understands it was “completely irresponsible” to push the false claims that the bloodbath did not occur and nobody died.

Jones stated he does, however added, “They (the media) will not let me take it again.”

He additionally complained that he is been “typecast as somebody that runs round speaking about Sandy Hook, makes cash off Sandy Hook, is obsessed by Sandy Hook.”

Below a withering cross-examination from lawyer Mark Bankston, Jones acknowledged his historical past of elevating conspiracy claims concerning different mass tragedies, from the Oklahoma Metropolis and Boston Marathon bombings to the mass shootings in Las Vegas and Parkland, Florida.

Bankston then went after Jones’ credibility, exhibiting an Infowars video clip from final week when a bunch – not Jones – claimed the trial was rigged and that includes a photograph of the choose in flames. Then got here one other clip of Jones asking if the jury was chosen from a bunch of individuals “who do not know what planet” they dwell on. Jones stated he did not imply that half actually.

Bankston stated Jones hadn’t complied with court docket orders to offer textual content messages and emails for pretrial proof gathering. Jones stated, “I do not use e-mail,” then was confirmed one gathered from one other supply that got here from his e-mail handle. He replied: “I should have dictated that.”

At one level, Bankston knowledgeable Jones that his attorneys had mistakenly despatched Bankston the final two years’ value of texts from Jones’ cellphone.

The lawyer additionally confirmed the court docket an e-mail from an Infowars enterprise officer informing Jones that the corporate had earned $800,00zero gross in promoting its merchandise in a single day, which might quantity to almost $300 million in a yr. Jones stated that was the corporate’s finest day in gross sales.

Jones’ testimony got here a day after Heslin and Lewis advised the courtroom in Austin, the place Jones and his firms are primarily based, that Jones and the false hoax claims he and Infowars pushed made their lives a “residing hell” of loss of life threats, on-line abuse and harassment.

They led a day of charged testimony Tuesday that included the choose scolding the bombastic Jones for not being truthful with a few of what he stated underneath oath.

In a gripping trade, Lewis spoke on to Jones, who was sitting about 10 ft away. Earlier that day, Jones was on his broadcast program telling his viewers that Heslin is “gradual” and being manipulated by dangerous individuals.

“I’m a mom firstly and I do know you’re a father. My son existed,” Lewis stated to Jones. “I’m not deep state … I do know you already know that … And but you are going to go away this courthouse and say it once more in your present.”

At one level, Lewis requested Jones: “Do you assume I am an actor?”

“No, I do not assume you are an actor,” Jones responded earlier than the choose admonished him to be quiet till referred to as to testify.

Heslin and Lewis are amongst a number of Sandy Hook households who’ve filed lawsuits alleging that the Sandy Hook hoax claims pushed by Jones have led to years of abuse by him and his followers.

“What was stated about me and Sandy Hook itself resonates around the globe,” Heslin stated. “As time went on, I actually realized how harmful it was.”

Jones skipped Heslin’s Tuesday morning testimony whereas he was on his present — a transfer Heslin dismissed as “cowardly” — however arrived within the courtroom for a part of Scarlett Lewis’ testimony. He was accompanied by a number of non-public safety guards.

“At this time is essential to me and it has been a very long time coming … to face Alex Jones for what he stated and did to me. To revive the distinction and legacy of my son,” Heslin stated when Jones wasn’t there.

Heslin advised the jury about holding his son with a bullet gap via his head, even describing the extent of the harm to his son’s physique. A key section of the case is a 2017 Infowars broadcast that stated Heslin did not maintain his son.

In 2017, Heslin went on tv, he advised CBS Information, to immediately handle the Sandy Hook deniers. “I misplaced my son. I buried my son. I held my son with a bullet gap via his head,” he stated.

After which, the harassment solely bought worse, Heslin stated.

“I’ve had many loss of life threats,” Heslin advised CBS Information in 2018. “Folks say, ‘Try to be those with a bullet gap in your head.'”

The jury was proven a college image of a smiling Jesse taken two weeks earlier than he was killed. The dad and mom did not obtain the photograph till after the taking pictures. They described how Jesse was identified for telling classmates to “run!” which doubtless saved lives.

Jones later took the stand Tuesday and was initially combative with the choose, who had requested him to reply his personal lawyer’s query. Jones testified he had lengthy needed to apologize to the plaintiffs.

Later, the choose despatched the jury out of the room and strongly scolded Jones for telling the jury he had complied with pretrial proof gathering despite the fact that he did not and that he’s bankrupt, which has not been decided. The plaintiffs’ attorneys have been livid about Jones mentioning he’s bankrupt, which they fear will taint the jury’s choices about damages.

“This isn’t your present,” Decide Maya Guerra Gamble advised Jones. “Your beliefs don’t make one thing true. You’re underneath oath.”

Final September, the choose admonished Jones in her default judgment over his failure to show over paperwork requested by the Sandy Hook households. A court docket in Connecticut issued the same default judgment towards Jones for a similar causes in a separate lawsuit introduced by different Sandy Hook dad and mom.

At stake within the trial is how a lot Jones pays. The dad and mom have requested the jury to award $150 million in compensation for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional misery. The jury will then take into account whether or not Jones and his firm pays punitive damages.

Jones advised the jury that any compensation above $2 million “will sink us,” however added: “Ï assume it is acceptable for no matter you resolve what you need to do.”

Jones has already tried to guard Free Speech Techniques financially. The corporate filed for federal chapter safety final week. Sandy Hook households have individually sued Jones over his monetary claims, arguing that the corporate is making an attempt to guard hundreds of thousands owned by Jones and his household via shell entities.