Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN/AP) - Tech and social media giants like Facebook, Amazon and Google bear responsibility for radicalizing the Buffalo supermarket shooter, who was fueled by racist conspiracy theories he encountered online, the victim’s relatives said in a lawsuit filed Wednesday.
"We are making the announcement of filing, what we believe is a landmark lawsuit in the aftermath of the racist shooting massacre of some of the most innocent people you will find on the face of the Earth here in Buffalo, New York at the Tops supermarket."
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Attorneys Ben Crump and Terry Connors, along with their team of lawyers for this civil lawsuit, were joined by several family members of the Tops mass shooting victims and survivors at Elim Christian Fellowship on Wednesday to discuss the lawsuit that has been filed on behalf of the family members.
"What we've done is we've looked into the entire line of gun distribution, the manufacturers of the body armor, the high capacity magazines that are plainly illegal, and we looked into the online digital platforms," said Attorney Connors during Wednesday's briefing. "I have to tell you, in over 40 years of being a lawyer, what we found was downright scary. You'll see from the complaint that was filed today, the influence, the radicalization, the engagement, the enablement that occurred on the Internet is something that has to stop."
According to the complaint filed, the lawsuit is going after a number of different entities, including social media companies - Meta (Facebook and Instagram), Reddit, Amazon, Twitch, Alphabet, Google, YouTube, Discord, Snap, and 4Chan - gun manufacturers like RMA Armament and Vintage Firearms, and others like Jimay’s Flea Market and MEAN Arms. In addition, Gendron's parents are part of the lawsuit filed.
The lawsuit calls for the suit to be heard in Erie County, because it is where multiple Plaintiffs reside and where a significant portion of the events underlying this action occurred. Attorneys are also hoping for this civil suit to come before a jury trial.
"Even though Payton Gendron fired the weapon that killed all their loved ones and critically injured others, there were many people who helped him load that gun. It is our objective to make sure that everybody who loaded that gun is held to account," said Attorney Crump. "They were conspirators, even if they don't want to admit it. Their actions and their deeds led to the killing of Margus Morrison, the killing of Pearl Young, the killing of Geraldine Talley, the killing of Ruth [Whitfield], the killing of Aaron Salter, the killing of Roberta Drury. Every last one of them must be brought to justice to be accountable, because if we don't, then shame on us because it may be your loved ones next. That's what this fight is about."
Crump adds the filing of this civil suit is one step closer to trying to get justice for the families affected by the Tops mass shooting. While it's likely going to be a long journey ahead for the families, Crump says they are prepared.
"We can never forget May 14, 2022, even though there have been several other senseless, unnecessary tragic shootings in America since," Crump said. "We can never let them forget what happened here in Buffalo. We can never let them try to sweep it under the rug and marginalize and devalue the lives of these Black people who were killed. We can never let them do that."
As for Connors, he says the families he's been representing are not just clients for his office, but they have become personal friends, and people that allows him and his team to understand, if at all possible, what they went through on May 14.
"When we first met them, all they said to us was, 'Please get us answers. Find out why this happened if you can. Do what you can to make sure it doesn't happen again.' Over the past year and two months, we have delved into every aspect of this case in order to answer their questions," Connors said. "They have a right to have these questions answered. They lost loved ones, they were permanently disabled. It should not have happened in our community, and when it comes to your community, it becomes personal. It's not just looking on CNN or Fox News to see about the next shooting. These are our people, our families that have had this experience. And now we want to try to stop that."
10 Black people were killed and three others were wounded in May 2022 when Gendron opened fire at the Tops Friendly Market in a predominantly Black neighborhood of Buffalo, which he targeted after conducting research online. Gendron, who was 18-years-old at the time, had driven 200 miles from his home in Conklin, New York.
He is serving a prison sentence of life without parole after pleading guilty to crimes, including murder and domestic terrorism motivated by hate.
More details into the entire lawsuit filed are available here: