Pulse Gay Nightclub Massacre Lawsuit Against Tech Giants Dismissed

The survivors of the Pulse Nightclub Massacre that took place on June 12, 2016, were handed a defeat in court as federal judge David M. Lawson on Friday March 30, dismissed the class-action lawsuit brought by several of the gay nightclub survivors and victims families against social media giants Facebook, Google+ and Twitter. The plaintiffs alleged that all three social media companies had aided in gunman Omar Mateen’s radicalization through his social media accounts by not properly monitoring and red flagging his posts.

This was seen by many as a double blow to the survivors and victims’ families as judge Lawson’s ruling came on the same day as a Florida jury in federal court, acquitted Mateen’s widow, Noor Salman, of aiding and abetting in the massacre at the Pulse gay nightclub where a total of 49 people were killed and another 53 wounded before police managed to take him down in a shootout with the Mateen. dying in a shootout with police .

Judge Lawson said in his ruling that he was not convinced of a direct connection between the social media giants and the shooting conducted by Omar Mateen. Lawson wrote in his dismissal….”There is no definitive evidence suggesting that the material Mateen saw online directly led to the attack, ‘other than that the principles espoused in them motivated Mateen to carry out the dreadful act”.

Judge Lawson concluded that the Mateen was responsible for the attack…“In isolation, when he Omar Mateen, ‘self-radicalized’ by perusing Internet postings, and then acted on his self-informed radical sentiments.” said Lawson.

No word yet if the families and victims will appeal Judge Lawson’s ruling or if they will fine another lawsuit.