A federal judge has denied a motion by the Buffalo mass shooting gunman's lawyers requesting evidence be shared, evidence victims’ families had wanted to use in a separate civil suit.

Defense attorneys requested evidence, including gunman Payton Gendron's computer data and text messages, be shared so victims’ families would consider outside influences on social media who they say helped indoctrinate the shooter.

But prosecutors objected, saying it would be impossible to keep sensitive information secure for their criminal proceedings if it’s also being used in civil litigation.

The judge agreed and denied the defense’s request on Thursday, one day before a new civil suit was filed.

In the new lawsuit, victims' families are accusing the shooter's parents, several social media platforms and gun retailers of playing a role in the attack. The families believe the gunman's racist conspiracy theories were fueled online. The suit names several online platforms, including Meta, Instagram, Amazon, Google and Discord, along with the maker of the body armor the shooter wore and the firearms retailers that sold him weapons.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified financial damages.

The shooter targeted the Tops on Jefferson Avenue in Buffalo because of its majority-Black neighborhood. He used a rifle to kill 10 people and injure three others on May 14, 2022.

He has been sentenced to life in prison.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that the gunman's computer data and text messages can now be used in civil litigation. However, prosecutors objected to a motion filed by defense attorneys requesting to share evidence in the case with attorneys pursuing a civil suit, and a judge ruled that the evidence should not be shared.