Buffalo Victims’ Lawsuit against Social Media Companies Moves Forward
GIFFORDS Law Center is representing several victims and families of the racist mass shooting at Tops Friendly Markets in May 2022.
New York, NY — GIFFORDS Law Center, the legal arm of the gun violence prevention group GIFFORDS, released the following statement after the Supreme Court of Erie County ruled to allow its wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of victims and survivors of the racist mass shooting in Buffalo, New York, to move forward against all social media defendants. The organization and its co-counsel notched two earlier wins in this case, with the court ruling that the case could proceed against firearm defendant MEAN L.L.C. and firearm store Vintage Firearms.
Filed with the Law Office of John V. Elmore PC and Social Media Victims Law Center, the lawsuit alleges that products from social media companies including META Platforms, Inc., Snap Inc., Alphabet, Inc. (parent company of Google, LLC and YouTube, LLC), Discord, Inc., Reddit, Inc., Amazon.com, Inc., and 4Chan Community Support, LLC radicalized the Buffalo shooter. The social media products are designed, programmed, and operated to maximize user engagement (and corresponding advertising revenue) and in this case, at the expense of public safety.
Leigh Rome, Senior Litigation Attorney, GIFFORDS Law Center:
“Social media products are designed to maximize user engagement, no matter the cost. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a shooter radicalized on social media and it won’t be the last unless these companies are held accountable for public safety. We’re glad the court has allowed our case to move forward so we can seek justice for the victims of the Tops Friendly Markets shooting.”
Kelly Percival, Litigation Attorney, GIFFORDS Law Center:
“Social media has addicted and radicalized too many young people and led to horrific violence, as we’ve seen in Buffalo and beyond. We’re grateful the court made the right decision to allow this case to proceed. Now, we will continue to work with our co-counsel at the Law Office of John V. Elmore PC and the Social Media Victims Law Center to obtain justice for those whose lives were lost or irrevocably changed in May 2022 and to hold these companies accountable to make changes to prevent future hate-fueled violence.”
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