Sandy Hook victim’s daughter fights cancer, waits on funds
Alex Jones has not yet paid her the $100M in damages he owes her
Erica Lafferty, daughter of slain Sandy Hook principal Dawn Lafferty Hochsprung, is 34 days into what she hopes will be lifesaving cancer treatment. Each and every one of those days, spent enduring the life altering symptoms of chemotherapy and radiation, she’s had to wonder whether or not she can afford to keep fighting.
“There has not been one single day that I haven’t worried about how I’m going to pay to stay alive,” said Lafferty, 38, who was diagnosed with Stage II Orbital Lymphoma in April.
Day in and day out she has been sharing her story in an attempt to lessen the financial stress that has in many moments made her feel sicker than the cancer and chemotherapy.
Meanwhile, Alex Jones owes her more than $100 million.
“It is the most unfair thing that I have ever experienced in my life, which should be a pretty profound statement coming from the daughter of a mass shooting victim,” said Lafferty.
Lafferty’s mother was one of 26 people who were murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December 2012 when a gunman opened fire on the school, killing 20 first graders and six educators.
In the decade since the murder, Lafferty and dozens more family members of the victims have been subject to relentless harassment, stalking and violent threats by followers of rightwing broadcaster Jones, who spearheaded theories that the shooting was a hoax meant to spur political support for gun control.
Fifteen people sued Jones in a Connecticut court, including family members of eight Sandy Hook shooting victims and a law enforcement officer who rushed to the scene on Dec. 14, 2012.
In October 2022, a jury in Waterbury reached a verdict of nearly $1 billion in compensatory damages owed by Jones and his company, Free Speech Systems, for the abuse they all endured. Earlier, a jury in Texas had also awarded nearly $50 million in compensatory and punitive damages to the parents of a murdered first grader who sued Jones there.
Also, in November 2022, Jones and his broadcast business were ordered to pay another $473 million for spreading conspiracy theories, bringing the total of what he owes to relatives and the first responder to about $1.4 billion.
Jones has asked a judge in Connecticut to throw out the verdict against him and order a new trial.
Lafferty was awarded $76 million in compensatory damages by the jury, an amount that was brought up to over $100 million when the punitive damages were added. Though Lafferty said she was unsure of the exact total Jones now owes her, she said knows that it is “definitely more than the $150,000 that I need to save my life.”
The Courant reached out to Jones’ lawyer, Norm Pattis, for comment but did not receive a response in time for publishing.
Lafferty’s doctors have estimated that she will need up to five more rounds of treatment. The chemotherapy drug, Luekeran, that she is taking costs up to $7,650 per treatment cycle out of pocket, she said.
Even amidst her cancer treatment, she continues to work full time for Everytown, an organization that advocates for gun safety and reform.
Since her diagnosis, the Newtown community has rallied around her with support. Local businesses have hosted fundraisers, all of which she has been too sick or in the thick of treatment to attend. But on Wednesday, she will return to Newtown for a Laffs for Lafferty fundraiser at Aquila’s Nest Vineyards to help support her treatment.
“It shows how this community can rally still after a decade. We’re 10.5 years in and they are still just dropping everything, reorganizing schedules and donating to help,” said Lafferty. “They just keep going, they don’t stop.”
While she finds herself once again astounded by the support of the Sandy Hook community, she’s frustrated that the residents of Newtown are once again forced to come together, organize fundraisers and rally around her when fundraising would not be necessary if Jones paid the damages he owes her.
“The community he profited off of — the very people he profited of — are continuing to struggle, are having to give each other time, resources and money because of him,” she said. “Again.”
Lafferty said Jones, who has openly balked at the idea of paying the damages he owes, does not seem to understand the result of his actions, and inaction when it comes to the damages.
“He has no grasp on reality and what a real-world problem actually looks like. And so many of my realworld problems are his [expletive] fault,” she said. “I can’t fix them, and I have to ask for help and money and for people to buy me pillowcases because he can’t pay his debt.”
The Infowars broadcaster filed for personal bankruptcy in Texas this year, which created another challenge for those to whom he owes damages.
On Wednesday, Lafferty will finish her first round of chemotherapy treatment. Later this week, she’ll undergo more scans to determine whether the treatment has worked so far. Her treatment team initially anticipated about $100,000 in medical bills but has since told her to “raise as much as you can because we just don’t know,” she said.
A Gofundme supporting Lafferty’s treatment costs has so far raised over $125,000 from more than 2,000 donors. Though the donations have lessened the burden, Lafferty still worries that she won’t raise enough to save her life.
“I’m so tired. I’m sick. And I shouldn’t have to fight anything outside of my own house at this point,” said Lafferty. “Especially on the heels of the 10-year [remembrance], on the heels of the [Jones] trial, on the heels of this massive win, I still have to fight Alex Jones.”
Laffs for Lafferty will be held at Aquila’s Nest Vineyards at 56 Police Bridge Road in Newtown at 7 p.m. on Wednesday. Tickets are
$50 and include a glass of wine and pizza provided by Newtown Pizza Palace. The event is 21+. Tickets can be purchased from Melanie at Julie Allen Bridals at 154 S. Main St. in Newtown or by calling 203-426-4378.