The father of a six-year-old son has recalled the moment that his son saved nine of his classmates in the Sandy Hook massacre.
Neil Heslin, who lost his child Jesse Lewis during the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, testified on Tuesday against conspiracy theorist Alex Jones during his defamation trial.
The parents of two victims have taken the Infowars radio host to court after he falsely claimed that the school shooting - where 20 children between six and seven years old and six staff members were killed - was a hoax.
The trial in Austin, Texas, where the far-right conspiracy theorist lives and broadcasts his radio show, started last week after previous hold-ups to the trial schedule.
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Once he took to the stand, Heslin was visibly upset as he recalled the moment that his son bravely sacrificed his life in order to save the lives of his fellow peers.
During the over hour-long testimony, the father said: “The gunman's gun jammed at one point. Jesse knew that. Jesse yelled for his classmates to run and they did.
“Nine of them are alive today because of his actions, 11 of them survived - two were in the bathroom. Jesse died a hero."
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The bereaved father also told the courtroom how he was subjected to online abuse, anonymous phone calls and even in-person harassment as a result of Jones’ claims and his Infowars website.
He said: "What was said about me and Sandy Hook itself resonates around the world.
"As time went on, I truly realised how dangerous it was. My life has been threatened. I fear for my life, I fear for my safety."
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Heslin added that people have even shot his home and car, whilst his legal team stated on Monday that his family have endured an ‘encounter’ in Austin when the trial commenced and have been in isolation from a safety standpoint.
Heslin also said: “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. To restore the honour and legacy of my son.”
Whilst the father did not know whether the Sandy Hook ‘hoax’ theory began with Jones’ claims, he believed it was the Free Speech Systems company owner that ‘lit the match and started the fire’ with his platform.
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In total, the families of eight of the victims and an FBI agent who responded to the shooting have sued Jones and his company.
The lawsuits did not request that jurors awarded the families a specific amount from Jones.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677.
Gabriella Ferlita