Families of the Sandy Hook shooting victims have rejected Alex Jones' $120,000 settlement offer, calling it a 'desperate attempt' to 'escape a public reckoning'

The families of the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting rejected a settlement offer from Alex Jones, who they accused of defaming them by claiming the killings never actually took place.

Jones apologized for any distress his remarks caused and offered each of the 13 people a $120,000 settlement.

Lawyers for the relatives filed to reject Jones' offers on Wednesday, calling them a transparent and desperate attempt by Alex Jones to escape a public spotlight under oath with his deceptive, profit-driven campaign against the victims of Sandy.

Jones, a far-right conspiracy theorist, had baselessly claimed that the shooting was staged to support opposition to the Second Amendment. A 20-year-old man killed six adults and 20 first graders at a school in Connecticut.

Jones admitted in a deposition that he had a form of psychosis that led him to believe that the shooting happened.

A Connecticut judge found Jones liable for damages when he refused to turn over evidence. The amount he must pay is not known.

Jones failed to show up for his deposition last week, claiming to be sick. Jones was healthy enough to appear on his live show in the days prior, but Judge Barbara Bellis refused to excuse him.

Jones will face a trial later this year over defamation lawsuits in Texas filed by the families of the Sandy Hook victims, for which he has also been found liable for damages.

Lawyers for Jones did not reply immediately.