A federal judge will not allow civil attorneys unrestricted access to evidence in the criminal cases against the Bufflao mass shooter.

The shooter was already convicted on state charges for killing 10 people and injuring three others on May 14, 2022. He's currently awaiting a decision by the U.S. Justice Department on whether it will seek the death penalty on federal charges.

Defense attorneys filed a motion to give civil attorneys full access to 4.5 terabytes of information. Federal prosecutors objected, and the judge denied the motion.

Local attorney John Elmore represents some of the victims' families and says the ruling doesn't make sense to his clients. He says his team, as well as attorneys in a similar civil suit against social media companies and a gun parts manufacturer, will continue to investigate and build their own cases.

"Through the discovery process, we're going to get it, but we're going to get it the hard way,” he said. “This has not stopped our resolve to get justice for these families that lost their loved ones. We're just a little bit disappointed that we're going to have to get it the hard way."

Civil attorneys can see the information on a federal computer, but can't take anything with them, or take photos or notes.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District says it does not comment on pending cases.