A Texas jury is deliberating how much Infowars host Alex Jones must pay for defaming the father of a six-year-old who was killed during the Sandy Hook school shooting. The Austin-based conspiracy theorist has conceded that the shooting was not a staged event, reports Courthouse News Service. Jones was sued by Neil Heslin, the father, for his repeated false statements that the shooting was a false flag attack designed to persuade the public into taking citizens' guns away. Heslin is seeking $150 million. "As you sit here today, what is your position on what happened, the murders at Sandy Hook Elementary school in 2012?” Jones' attorney Andino Reynal asked him. “I think Sandy Hook happened and I think it is a terrible event and I think we need to protect our children from mentally ill psychopaths,” said Jones.
Jones went on to claim that the U.S. government had forewarning of the shooting before Judge Maya Gamble cut him off. Heslin attorney Mark Bankston presented text messages that showed Jones corresponding with others about Sandy Hook. Jones had testified that he did not have such records on his cell phone. Bankston said, "Your attorney messed up and sent me a digital copy of your entire cell phone with every text message you have sent for the past two years... that is how I know you lied to me.” Another piece of Infowars content played to the jury was a clip of the conspiracy theorist saying the members of the jury were being manipulated and “do not know what planet they are on.” Jurors could ask anonymous questions to Jones. One juror said, “Are you aware that this jury consists of 16 intelligent and fair-minded citizens who are not being improperly influenced in any way?”