Tech companies are under investigation for their role in the Buffalo shooting

New York Attorney General Letitia James is launching an investigation into social media companies' role in this past weekend's mass shooting in Buffalo, which the shooter mapped out on Discord for months prior to the attack and livestreamed on Twitch before the video was taken down.

James announced on Wednesday that her office will probe tech companies that the Buffalo shooter used to "plan, promote and stream his terror attack." Twitch, 4chan, 8chan and Discord are among the platforms being investigated, she said. The alleged shooter used 4chan and its sister board, 8chan, frequently, and cited the two sites in a 180-page document detailing his attack. Twitch has said it removed the livestream of the attack within two minutes.

"This terror attack again revealed the depths and dangers of these platforms that spread and promote hate without consequence," James wrote on Twitter. "We are doing everything in our power to stop this dangerous behavior now and ensure it never happens again."

A spokesperson for Discord said it plans to cooperate with the investigation. "Our deepest sympathies are with the victims and their families. Hate has no place on Discord and we are committed to combating violence and extremism," the spokesperson said.

Representatives for Twitch,, 4chan and 8chan did not immediately return Protocol's requests for comment. The attorney general's office received a referral from New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to launch the investigation.

Update: This story was updated to include comment from Discord.