BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — New York Attorney General Letitia James released a report Tuesday on the role of online platforms in the Buffalo mass shooting.
10 people were killed and three others were injured in the shooting that occurred on May 14 at the Tops Friendly Markets on Jefferson Avenue. As Western New York mourns with the families who lost loved ones, 7 News wishes to honor their memory. You can learn more about each of the victims here.
The Office of the Attorney General said it reviewed thousands of pages of documents and social media content to examine how the suspect, 19-year-old Payton Gendron of Conklin, used online platforms to plan, prepare and publicize the attack.
The OAG said the report concludes that fringe online platforms radicalized the suspect, live streaming platforms were weaponized to publicize and encourage violent copycat attacks, and a lack of oversight, transparency, and accountability on the platforms allowed hateful and extremist views to escalate leading to radicalization and violence.
The platforms that were examined included:
- 4chan
- 8kun
- Discord
- Twitch
- YouTube
- TikTok
- Rumble
AG James is calling for federal and state reforms in response to the report, which includes the following:
- Create Liability for the Creation and Distribution of Videos of Homicides
- Add Restrictions to Livestreaming
- Reform Section 230
- Increase Transparency and Strengthen Moderation
- Call on Industry Service Providers to Do More
“The tragic shooting in Buffalo exposed the real dangers of unmoderated online platforms that have become breeding grounds for white supremacy. Today I met with the victims’ families to share the findings of this report. This report is further proof that online radicalization and extremism is a serious threat to our communities, especially communities of color. We saw this happen in Christchurch, Charlottesville, El Paso, and Buffalo, and we cannot wait for another tragedy before we take action. Online platforms should be held accountable for allowing hateful and dangerous content to spread on their platforms. Extremist content is flourishing online, and we must all work together to confront this crisis and protect our children and communities.”
“To know that it was filmed and that people were watching it like a movie is disgusting. I want everybody who was a part of that—who filmed it, who let him film it—I want them all to suffer consequences for the hate display," said Kimberly Salter, who lost her husband Aaron Salter in the shooting.
James Young, who lost his mother Pearl Young in the shooting, also called for accountability, “we need to have stronger laws against preaching hate on public platforms. When you preach hate, the next thing that comes is death. Social media sites that are allowed to do that, it’s almost like we’re enabling them to set up the next tragic death."
You can view the full report here.
The suspect faces federal hate crime and firearm charges in addition to several state criminal charges which include a domestic act of terrorism charge.
