ORLANDO, Fla. _ Ten new plaintiffs have joined a federal lawsuit that targets Twitter, Google and Facebook with allegations that the Islamic State used social media to radicalize the Pulse nightclub gunman.
The lawsuit is the second in recent weeks in which more than a dozen Pulse victims or their families are now suing over the tragedy. The other big lawsuit is directed at the G4S security firm, where the shooter worked as a security guard, and his wife.
Neither lawsuit names specific dollar amounts sought, but both seek court orders to define and restrict actions that could lead to terror attacks. The social media lawsuit, for example, seeks a judge's order declaring the social media companies to have violated the Anti-Terrorism Act by allowing Islamic State sympathizers to use their services.
Twitter, Google and Facebook have fought back in court, filing a motion to dismiss the case already.
The social media lawsuit was first filed in December by family members controlling the estate of three deceased victims. Ten more joined the suit last week, according to a new amended complaint.
One of the new plaintiffs in the social media case is Christine Leinonen, mother of deceased victim Christopher Leinonen. She has been one of the most visible activists among the Pulse victims' families, appearing at the Democratic National Convention during the presidential campaign to speak about curbing gun violence.
The social media suit alleges that the shooter, Omar Mateen, was radicalized by the Islamic State's use of social media websites to conduct terrorist operations. However, the companies have argued that the suit alleges no facts indicating that the Orlando attack "was in any way impacted, helped by, or the result of ISIS's presence on the social networks."
Besides Leinonen, the new plaintiffs who are family members of deceased victims include: Lydia Perez and family members of the late Jean Carlos Mendez Perez; Carlos Sanfeliz and Maria Sanfeliz-Mendoza, family of the late Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz; Jose Luis Vielma, family of the late Luis Sergio Vielma; Jackson J. Josaphat, family of the late Jason B. Josaphat; Stanley Almodovar, family of the late Stanley Almodovar III.
Four of the new plaintiffs are Pulse victims who recovered: Chris Littlestar, Nicholaz Perez, Asael Abad and Jillian Amador.
They join the original plaintiffs, who are the families of the late Tevin Crosby, Javier Jorge-Reyes and Juan Guerrero. Crosby was a Michigan native, and Jorge-Reyes has a sister who lives there.
The lawsuit cites numerous media accounts of investigations into the shooting by the FBI and by a congressional committee.
Although the suit says the FBI believes Mateen was radicalized by viewing online material, including videos, the suit doesn't have any specific examples of Mateen viewing Islamic State material. The only direct reference in the lawsuit to Mateen using social media is about him going on Facebook during the shooting itself to find reaction.
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