Mother of Sandy Hook victim reacts to court victory against Alex Jones

(WFSB) - As the trial for Alex Jones starts this week in Connecticut, Eyewitness News is hearing from Scarlett Lewis.

She lost her son at Sandy Hook.

Along with her ex-husband, a Texas jury awarded them nearly $50 million in their suit against him.

Scarlett said the jury’s decision is a huge relief and incredibly she said she has forgiven Alex Jones.

Nearly 10 years after 6-year-old Jesse Lewis died at Sandy Hook, his mother, Scarlett, had to come face to face with the man who denied his existence.

“I thought about Jesse standing in his first-grade classroom facing down a former student with a machine gun who had just murdered his principal and guidance counselor right outside his door and I thought I can do this. This is easier than what Jesse had to do,” Scarlett said.

She testified in a Texas courtroom a month ago.

On top of her grief, she told jurors she suffered from years of harassment by Alex Jones’ followers after he repeatedly said the Sandy Hook school shooting was a hoax.

Jones has since said he believes the shooting did happen.

“I feel relief. Alex Jones said that it was 100-percent real and I know that he knows that and I know that he knew that going in,” Scarlett said.

On her Sandy Hook farm, you can see her colorful van.

In Jesse’s honor she started the Choose Love movement. It offers free lessons on social emotional learning to try and prevent school shootings.

Something young and old can benefit from.

“Such as how to manage our emotions. How to self-regulate. Self-awareness. How to have healthy relationships and connections,” said Scarlett.

In that difficult moment in that Texas courtroom, she chose love.

“I saw exactly what was going on. He was trying to fill this void with greed and money and I knew it could only be filled with love,” Scarlett said. “And I found myself looking at him and into his eyes and I did feel an incredible amount of compassion for him.”

She says even though she forgave him, she believes he still needs to be held accountable for his action.

Right now, her case is in the appellate courts so it may be some time before she sees any money in the case.

Copyright 2022 WFSB. All rights reserved.