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. Lewis and her husband, Neil Heslin, are seeking at least $150 million in damages, and have outlined how they have been harassed, threatened and even had their home shot at by people believing Jones' lies about the mass shooting. These three words are the foundational values of the movement, with their individual meaning forming a formula for choosing love. Plaintiff Bill Sherlach, right, husband of deceased Sandy Hook Elementary school psychologist Mary Sherlach, arrives with plaintiffs' attorney Chris Mattei to the Alex Jones defamation trial at Superior Court in Waterbury, Conn. on Wednesday, October 12, 2022. We realized we had to forgive the killers, one of the Rwandan survivors told them, or we would go down the same path., All right, God, Lewis remembers thinking. [19][20] Choose Love for Athletic Leadership Development is a program for athletes and leaders to incorporate the Choose Love Formula in any sports program to build character and create positive relationships on and off the playing field. Jones has been found to have defamed the parents of a Sandy Hook student for calling the attack a hoax. Las Vegas. The 6-year-old Sandy Hook hero: New report reveals Jesse Lewis saved six classmates by telling them to run when Adam Lanza's gun ran out of bullets but was shot dead for his bravery when the . It has been five years since Jesse, 6, was slaughtered with 25 others including 19 other children in a gunmans rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School on Dec. 14, 2012. "I think about that bravery every single day," Lewis says. The onslaught of horrific comments was escalating so quickly, that the couple couldn't focus on their daughter's funeral because they were so afraid protestors or Sandy Hook deniers would burst in to create a scene or take photos of their child's casket, Alissa Parker said. Courtesy Lewis Family/Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement. Updated on: August 2, 2022 / 7:23 PM Mother Jennifer Hensel was awarded $52 million, father Mark Barden received $57.6 million while mother Jacqueline Barden received $28.8 million, and daughter Erica Lafferty received $76 million. Sandy Hook are private. "They called Emilie a whore and were calling Robbie a liar and saying we are going to burn in hell for what you've done.". U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., applauded the verdict, but warned it wouldn't alone stop misinformation. Sandy Hook Parents Want To See Evidence Related To Teachers' Access To 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 continued to press him on his false claims about the reality of the shooting, at one point directly asking him if she thinks she's an actor. JT Lewis - Wikipedia That message has guided Lewis through life, inspiring her to start the Choose Love Movement, an organization dedicated to creating "Safer and more loving communities" in and around schools through a series of character, social and emotional development programs. A Sandy Hook Mother Confronts Alex Jones During Defamation Trial - The "You don't know what they were going to do.". Has anybody seen this?. 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. The testimony was punctuated by clips of Jones mocking the families including Robbie Parker who he called a "method" actor and saying the shooting was "as phony as a $3 bill.". It just reminds me that we had so much life and loudness with Jesse just bounding off the walls with vibrating energy all the time, and it spread out to the four corners of the property.". Jesse was a lovebug, Lewis says, but its not like that phrase was part of a 6-year-old's everyday vocabulary. Adam Lanza's gun jammed after he burst into Jesse Lewis' classroom at Sandy Hook Elementary School and killed teacher Victoria Soto. Olivia was in the same classroom as Jesse and her teacher was Soto and it was the brave and heroic actions of Jesse Lewis and Soto that allowed for many of the students in that classroom to escape. [14], Three days after Jesse's murder, Scarlett returned to the family's farmhouse and found a message on their kitchen chalkboard that Jesse had written shortly before he died: "Norurting Helinn Love" (Nurturing Healing Love). Orlando. Jessica Hill/AP Photo/Jessica Hill Show More Show Less 20 of 38 Jesse Lewis, a victim in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Conn. Dec. 14, 2012. His conspiracy theories spread widely, and 10 years later, Lewis is still dealing with the repercussions. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. I believe (the verdict) sends a powerful message, and I see it working.". She stopped short. The jury also ordered Jones to pay "reasonable" attorney fees for the 15 plaintiffs. You have, this week. He had the opportunity to Skype with a group of Rwandan genocide survivors, who shared their experiences with loss, survival and resilience. A look back: Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, Sandy Hook parents still fight for change 10 years after school shooting, Alex Jones ordered to pay another $473 million to Sandy Hook families, Alex Jones concedes Sandy Hook massacre was "100% real", Mom of Sandy Hook victim confronts Alex Jones: "My son existed", 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting, to directly address the Sandy Hook deniers. IE 11 is not supported. She says she always feels her son with her. Jesse Lewis posing for his mom, Scarlett Lewis, on the morning of December 14, 2012. 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. In a Twitter thread on Wednesday night, Erica Lafferty, daughter of slain principal Dawn Hochsprung, reflected on how Jones held a press conference outside the courthouse as she testified to the rape threats she was sent because of Jones' lies. She felt sure it meant something, and it was up to her to figure it out. 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. 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. WATERBURY A six-member jury awarded eight Sandy Hook families and a federal agent defamed by Alex Jones $965 million in damages and emotional distress in a momentous verdict on Wednesday that came after close to three full days of deliberation. Lewis and Jesses father, Neil Heslin, are among several Sandy Hook families that have filed lawsuits against Jones arguing that his statements that the attack was a hoax have led to years of abuse from his followers. Jesses loving personality inspired his mom, Scarlett Lewis, to launch the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement to help kids with social and emotional learning.