With more families involved, this lawsuit could be double a similar lawsuit in Texas, where the parents of 6-year-old Jesse Lewis were awarded around $49 million in libel damages from Jones.

These are the families and other key people to know before the start of the trial in Waterbury Superior Court.

Daughter of Dawn Hochsprung

Hailed as a hero, Dawn Hochsprung was the principal of Sandy Hook Elementary School who was killed when she confronted the gunman in the hallway on the morning of December 14, 2012.

His daughter, Erica Lafferty, is the lead plaintiff in the case. She used her advocacy and her writings to honor and remember her mother.

In November 2016, she published an op-ed in USA Today calling on Donald Trump to expose Alex Jones and other “Sandy Hook truthers.” The article prompted Jones’ Infowars to run a “five-minute rant” defending Jones and “attacking” Lafferty, according to a complaint filed in May 2018.

Hochsprung was among Sandy Hook educators to posthumously receive the Citizens’ Medal of Honor, the highest honor given to a civilian by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.

Parents of Dylan Hockley

Nicole and Ian Hockley are the mother and father of Dylan Hockley, a 6-year-old child who was killed in the massacre

After the shooting, the parents started Dylan’s Wings of Change, a non-profit organization that supports children with autism and others. The organization takes its name from Dylan, who loved to flutter his arms like a butterfly.

Nicole Hockley and the father of another victim also formed the non-profit Sandy Hook Promise, which aims to protect children from gun violence.

Nicole Hockley said she was frequently harassed on Twitter by Alex Jones followers.

Parents of Daniel Barden

Seven-year-old Daniel Barden was one of the first graders killed in the shooting. His parents, Jacqueline and Mark Barden, are among the plaintiffs in the case.

The family formed the What Would Daniel Do movement to honor his memory and spread his message of “kindness, compassion, selflessness, gratitude and appreciation for life.”

Mark Barden is also the co-founder of Sandy Hook Promise, along with Dylan Hockley’s mother.

Parents of Ben Wheeler

David and Francine Wheeler are the parents of Benjamin Wheeler, a 6-year-old child killed in the drama.

After their son’s death, they formed Ben’s Lighthouse, a non-profit organization that seeks to “nurture the potential in all children to build a more compassionate and connected world”, while honoring the love of their wires for the headlights.

Less than two years after the shooting, the couple had another child, Matthew Bennett Wheeler. They have another son, Nate, who is Ben’s older brother.

Parents of Avielle Richman

Jennifer Hensel and Jeremy Richman, parents of 6-year-old Avielle Richman, are named as plaintiffs in the case. Their daughter is remembered as a “Harry Potter” fan who loved horses.

Her parents teamed up with scientists and medical researchers to form the Avielle Foundation to study brain health and the roots of violence. This mission continues through the Avielle Initiative, part of the University of Colorado’s Anschutz Medical Campus.

The couple had two more children, Imogen Joy and Owen, after their daughter’s death.

Jeremy Richman took his own life in March 2019. His wife said at the time that he “succumbed to grief he could not escape”.

Family of Victoria Leigh Soto

Several family members of Victoria Leigh Soto, a 27-year-old teacher from Stratford who was killed in the shooting, are named as plaintiffs.

This includes his brother Carlos Soto, his mother Donna Soto, and his sisters Jillian Soto and Carlee Soto-Parisi.

Victoria Soto has been called a hero for hiding her students in cupboards and cabinets, telling the shooter they were in gym class. A school in Stratford, the Victoria Soto School, bears his name. Soto was among Sandy Hook educators to posthumously receive the Citizens’ Medal of Honor, the highest honor given to a civilian by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.

The Vicki Soto Memorial Fund supports teacher-led initiatives, literacy programs, student and youth organizations, and prospective teachers through scholarships.

His family sought to put his name down in part because of pranks that created fake accounts to spread conspiracy theories about the shooting.

William Aldenberg

In addition to the families, FBI agent William Aldenberg sued Jones. He was one of the first responders to the shooting and was “pictured in iconic photographs and video footage” from the day.

“He has been upset by some of the defendants and their supporters, who claim he is a crisis actor,” the lawsuit filed in May 2018 reads.

Outside of the massacre, Aldenberg was among the FBI Special Agents in 2014 to receive the Financial Fraud and Public Corruption Unit Award for investigating a scheme to direct illegal campaign contributions to a candidate for the United States House of Representatives.

Alex Jones

Described by his own legal team as the “Coca-Cola of the conspiracy theory community”, Alex Jones owns and runs the Infowars platform, where he has exposed myths about the Sandy Hook shootings.

His comments and those of his employees about Sandy Hook came to a head in 2018 when families sued him for defamation in several separate lawsuits. Connecticut and Texas judges entered default judgments against Jones last year in all lawsuits.

The first trial for one of these lawsuits took place in July and August in Texas, with another trial also scheduled in Texas sometime after the Connecticut one.

The net worth of Jones and his company is estimated at $270 million, according to an expert who testified at the first trial in Texas.

Judge Barbara Bellis

The Waterbury trial is being overseen by Judge Barbara Bellis, who ruled in November 2021 that Jones lost the libel suit by default. He and his legal team had failed to follow the discovery process.

Bellis has shown little patience for the antics of Jones and his legal team. For example, she imposed an escalating fine of $25,000 a day earlier this year when he failed to show up for his deposition in Connecticut. She plans to sanction her attorneys for apparently sharing the Sandy Hook families’ private medical records that were protected by court order.

A Superior Court judge since June 2003, Bellis has experience as a judge in civil matters and complex litigation. She began a new role as chief administrative judge of civil matters on September 6.