New York Attorney General Letitia James said Wednesday her office will investigate social media companies the Buffalo grocery store gunman apparently used to plan, promote, and stream an alleged mass shooting, which left 10 dead over the weekend.
In a two-part tweet, James speculated on the roles Twitch, 4chan, 8chan, and Discord might have played in the shooting attack at a Tops store in western New York.
Tweet No. 1: "My office is launching investigations into the social media companies that the Buffalo shooter used to plan, promote, and stream his terror attack.
"We are investigating Twitch, 4chan, 8chan, and Discord, among others, all platforms that the shooter used to amplify this attack."
Tweet No. 2: "This terror attack again revealed the depths and dangers of these platforms that spread and promote hate without consequence.
"We are doing everything in our power to stop this dangerous behavior now and ensure it never happens again."
The suspected gunman, Payton Gendron, surrendered to police on Saturday after the attack.
Gendron apparently publicized a racially charged post on the Web and subsequently aired the attack in real time on Twitch, a live video service owned by Amazon.com.
On Wednesday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul talked about strengthening the state's "Red Flag" law by issuing an order for state police to seek emergency orders to stop individuals from possessing weapons — if they are believed to be a threat to themselves or others, The New York Times reported.
Eleven of the 13 people who were shot were black, and police said there could have been more victims, if the suspect hadn't been stopped.
Gendron pleaded not guilty Saturday night to a charge of first-degree murder, according to Buffalo City Court Chief Judge Craig Hannah.
The district attorney expected to file more charges in the coming days.
The rifle used in the apparent attack was legally purchased in New York, a senior law enforcement official told NBC News. A hunting rifle and a shotgun were also found at the scene.
The suspect also had multiple 30-round magazines, which are illegal in New York.
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