Alex Jones is a far-right radio host and conspiracy theorist who falsely claimed that the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax. The shooting occurred on December 14, 2012, in Newtown, Connecticut, when Adam Lanza fatally shot 20 children and six staff members before committing suicide. Jones promoted the conspiracy theory that the massacre was staged using "crisis actors" as part of a government plot to push gun control, which has been thoroughly debunked. Due to his false claims, Jones faced multiple defamation lawsuits from the families of the victims and others affected. In 2022, juries in Connecticut and Texas ruled that Jones was liable for defamation and emotional distress, awarding over $1.4 billion in damages to the plaintiffs. Jones tried to appeal these rulings but the U.S. Supreme Court rejected his appeal in October 2025, leaving the large judgment against him intact. Jones had also filed for personal bankruptcy in late 2022, but he has yet to pay the damages owed. Jones’ conspiracy theories about Sandy Hook have caused significant harm, leading to threats and harassment of the shooting victims' families and others involved. His claims have been widely condemned, and legal repercussions have aimed to hold him accountable for spreading false and damaging information about this tragic event.