With his last breath, Scarlett Lewis's son saved lives at Sandy Hook. Dec. 14 is particularly painful: Heslin lost his son on that day in 2012 and, five years earlier, lost his mother on the same day. "It would need to be domesticated in a state where he has property and then that property could be attached and seized or foreclosed upon, or potentially other remedies could be brought. "Today is very important to me and it's been a long time coming to face Alex Jones for what he said and did to me. Since Sandy Hook, the record for the worst mass shooting in U.S. history has been surpassed several times over. Husband William Sherlach was awarded $36 million and FBI agent William Aldenberg was awarded $90 million. Alissa Parker said she found her husband Robbie up at 2 a.m. two days after the shooting frantically deleting comments on the Facebook page honoring their daughter Emilie who was killed in the shooting, she said. 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. "It's a long hard road once you get a judgment to collect when it's someone like Alex Jones," Taubes said after the verdict was announced. Scarlett Lewis remembers a time when she thought she could never forgive. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Kim Kardashian wears jaw-dropping pearl dress as she joins pregnant Rihanna, Other people had 'got stuck' at indoor cave where trapped father suffered fatal injuries: Probe is launched Pupils and parents face more disruption as thousands of teachers go on strike again today in row over pay Supermarkets pull THOUSANDS of Cadbury dessert products over food poisoning fears. "They were really missing Jesse and suffering. ", At one point, Lewis asked Jones: "Do you think I'm an actor?". Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group, Eleven children from Jesse's class survived. Plaintiff Francine Wheeler wipes a tear as her jury award is read with her fellow plaintiffs in the Alex Jones defamation trial at Superior Court in Waterbury, Conn. on Wednesday, October 12, 2022. Father of child killed in Sandy Hook says he experienced 'hell' because of Alex Jones' lies, Alex Jones apologizes to Sandy Hook parent: I never intentionally tried to hurt you. On Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022, Jones was ordered to pay Jesse's father, Neil Heslin, and Scarlett $4.1 million for defamation and intentional inflictionof emotional distress. He has already been found liable for defamation by courts in Texas and Connecticut for how he portrayed the mass shooting as a hoax. On the 10-year anniversary of the day her son was taken from her, Lewis says she plans to do what her family does every year: Gather at Jesse's grave, light candles, read bible verses and inspirational quotes and say a prayer. It was reported shortly after the shooting that Miss Soto, 27, hid some of her children in a closet and gave her life trying to distract Lanza. Well that stops, that's stopping today thanks to the courage of these families.". [6][7][8], The Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement was founded in 2013 in honor of Jesse McCord Lewis, a six-year-old killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, on December 14, 2012. Lewis brother Jesse, who was a first-grader when he was killed, has been credited with saving others after he shouted for his classmates to run while the gunman paused to reload, Jesse was shot moments later. Lewis continued trying to impress on Jones that the Sandy Hook shooting and trauma inflicted in the decade since then was real. Jesse Lewis Obituary (2012) - Sandy Hook, CT - The News-Times - Legacy.com 'We're not your enemies!' With her every breath, she works to spread compassion even for his murderer. He had the opportunity to Skype with a group of Rwandan genocide survivors, who shared their experiences with loss, survival and resilience. 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. Its been five years, unbelievably, since the tragedy and not a day goes by, not even a minute, where J.T. Profile", "Little hero of Sandy Hook saved his pals", "Sandy Hook Student Killed After Telling Classmates to Run: Mom", https://www.policinginstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/csp_aar.pdf, "Meet the Mom Behind the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement! Thats the courage to choose love.. Having a 6-year-old son shot in front of his classroom is unbearable and you dont think youre going to survive and then to have someone on top of that perpetuate a lie that it was a hoax, that it was a false flag, Scarlett Lewis said during her testimony. Scarlett Lewis' 6-year-old son Jesse was among the 20 children killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook elementary school shooting. J.T. I dont think you understand the fear you perpetuate, not just to the victims family but to our family, our friends and any survivor from that school.. Scarlett Lewis / Contributed photo Show More Show Less 2 of 15 J.T. and I dont think about Jesse, and miss him, Scarlett tells PEOPLE. . "I know you know that, and that's the problem. Mattei said his team will track Jones' finances to make sure there are no fraudulent transfers of assets. RICHARD LITTLEJOHN: What do we want? 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. Carrying his warm clothes, she turned the corner to walk into her kitchen and she saw it. Sandy Hook Siblings, 10 Years Later, Reflect On Love and Loss - Today ", She added the verdict sends a message that "truth matters. "I am a mother first and foremost and I know you are a father. 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. Answer only the question asked of you.. For her, there was no other choice her pain was an anchor dragging her down. "A jury in Connecticut today sent a strong message that what he did to these families and a first responder was disgraceful.. Heslin told jurors that the pain of losing his son was compounded by Jones assertion that he never existed. "We recommit ourselves to having the courage that Jesse showed on that day and to spread his message of nurturing, healing love," she adds. The workshop teaches teams how to engage with purpose, high ethics, courage, gratitude, forgiveness, and compassion. The number of SEL programs in schools is steadily growing because principals and teachers demand them, he says: "The evidence shows how effective it is. He repeatedly suggested that the mass shooting could have been a"staged event. 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?' I want to be the billion-dollar man., He then urged viewers to donate to "save Infowars," adding the trial was a political hit job and said he was actually proud to be under this level of attack.. He is the older brother of six-year-old Jesse Lewis, [9] who was a first grade student at Sandy Hook Elementary School when he and others were killed in a shooting at the school on December 14, 2012. He shouted to his classmates, who were huddled in the corner, holding hands. The ripple effect is enormous because of the platform that you have. And J.T. I said sure, so they came into the kitchen, their eyes downcast and sad. He called back to tell her those three words showed up again and again in the definition of compassion across cultures. This is a carousel. ", My goal is to hold Alex Jones accountable," he added, "and to be able to walk out of this courthouse very soon with this all behind me and move on with my life.". Potentially his wages could be garnished, accounts could be frozen," he added. "The Sandy Hook families deserve every dollar coming to them from Alex Jones," he tweeted. But she says she has no doubts about who he would have become. Alex Jones walks into the courtroom in front of Scarlett Lewis and Neil Heslin, the parents of 6-year-old Sand Hook shooting victim Jesse Lewis, at the Travis County Courthouse in Austin, Texas . 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. I know you know that And yet you're going to leave this courthouse and say it again on your show. 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.. "It's is, it is. A therapist referred her to a college professor who told her hed do some research. Lewis finally got an answer to the question that haunted her years ago, when everyone she loved was safe and she couldnt imagine forgiving someone who hurt her kids. He provided some of the most heart-wrenching testimony, admitting that he feared he had brought unfavorable attention to the other families by issuing a statement about the death of his daughter Emilie the day after the shooting. Above: Gottheimer stands with the Brady Campaign, Moms Demand Action, and North Jersey leaders to remember the victims of the Sandy Hook tragedy which took place seven years ago this week. The jury also ordered Jones to pay "reasonable" attorney fees for the 15 plaintiffs. Yeah I was talking about all the victims and bouncing around the victims. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to . / CBS/AP. Lewis testified that she received death threats and that her family and friends have also been harassed by Jones followers. When Adam Lanza stepped into her sons classroom, his gun jammed or he briefly ran out of bullets, and Jesse shouted at his friends to run. Well, those may be truths that are easier to accept for some people, but it's not the truth. Though she can envision that moment clearly, she also knows it won't happen in her lifetime. What you're describing is love, and it's still there and he's still all around you. Im listening.. During often tearful and halting testimony in Waterbury, Sandy Hook parents described losing a child and then being confronted online and in-person by Jones' followers who believed that the shooting never happened and that their loved one either never existed or was alive. Hwang went on to win a state Senate seat in 2014. With 3-year-old Jesse snuggled safely in the crook of her arm, she remembers thinking, I would never forgive someone who hurt my family. Jesse Lewis, 6 Jesse Lewis had been looking forward to . "But today they learned that they will be held accountable.". Jesse Lewis, 6 Jesse Lewis, aged six, one of the victims at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., who was shot dead on December 14, 2012. 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. A report on the Newtown shooting by investigators is due to be released soon. "It's just so powerful, and I'm so grateful to have been put on this path by Jesse and the message that he left for his family.". After Jesse was killed in the . Choose Love for Communities is a program for business owners, community leaders, law enforcement agencies and political leaders to be part of the solution and to thoughtfully respond to any thought, action, or circumstance with love. "It's fear for your life," Lewis said. Sandy Hook suit seeks to exploit loophole in federal gun law The parents led a day of charged testimony that included the judge scolding the bombastic Jones for not being truthful with some of what he said under oath. Even 18 years later, studies have shown that students exposed to SEL training in school have better academics, score higher on skills like empathy and teamwork, have fewer emotional problems and lower rates of drug use. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 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. IE 11 is not supported. 's courage in moving on and using his pain to help others inspires her daily. His conspiracy theories spread widely, and 10 years later, Lewis is still dealing with the repercussions. Her message: You have power; use it. "That perked them up a bit, and one had a twinkle in his eye," she adds. "I lost my son. And the fear that comes from that stops the healing and the mourning process, Lewis said to Jones during her testimony. "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 am a real mom," she said. But what makes this holiday season, Christmas, Thanksgiving to the New Year, harder is thats when the tragedy occurred.. "I know his hate, lies, and conspiracy theories will follow me and my family through the rest of our days. . "Part of my decision to hold (Jones) accountable was that I felt like he was acting in direct opposition to what my mission is, which is to keep kids safe," Lewis explains. For years, she and her husband have faced harassment from people believing that her child's death was staged but on Tuesday, she had the chance to confront the man who's been at the helm of propagating such falsehoods. Jones is facing several lawsuits from Sandy Hook families who allege that his claims led to years of abuse. "No amount of money will ever bring back the beautiful lives lost that tragic day, but this decision is resounding, long-awaited justice for the Sandy Hook families," he tweeted. Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis Testify Against Alex Jones on the path to forgiveness. Jesse was among the victims. Susan Bysiewicz's echoed his remarks. Lewis has dedicated herself recently to the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Foundation, which promotes ways for communities to 'choose love over anger, gratitude over entitlement, and forgiveness and compassion over bitterness. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. "Their mom asked if her kids could talk to me, because they were having a really hard time," she recalls. Always. You are under oath.". It was initially thought that Lanza started with Ms Rousseau's class because he killed all but one child in the room. The awkward response from a Q&A audience after they are asked if they will swear allegiance to King Charles Charlotte is daddy's double!