Why Are There Conspiracies Around Sandy Hook?

Following the 2012 Sandy Hook school massacre, conspiracy theories have emerged, with a group called the Sandy Hook Truther movement claiming the shooting was staged. Infowars broadcaster Alex Jones had spread the same bogus theory that the shooting was a staged pretext for federal gun control, with the families of the victims in on the action. The Sandy Hook Hoaxers were bound by the powerful, false belief that their freedoms were under siege, and group survival demanded they nurture and protect that falsehood. Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones testified that he now understands it was irresponsible to declare the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre a hoax.

In an episode of “Intelligence Matters”, host Michael Morell speaks with journalist and author Elizabeth Williamson, who traced the rise and proliferation of conspiracy theories. Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has been ordered to pay an extra $US45.2 million ($65.4 million) in punitive damages to the parents of a six-year-old boy who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School. The list of victims continues to grow one month after the Sandy Hook school shootings, with one man, Gene Rosen, who found six children and a missing son, Lenny Pozner, living in hiding.

The legacy of the Sandy Hook shootings continues to reverberate 10 years later, including in how conspiracy theories have changed since the tragedy. The Sandy Hook Hoaxers were bound by the powerful, false belief that their freedoms were under siege, and group survival demanded they nurture and protect that falsehood.