Rochester, N.Y. - We're seeing Facebook, Twitter and other social media tools like never before. It's how news spread of the deadly shooting inside a Colorado movie theater.
Even police are more in tune.
“This creates new challenges for law enforcement,” said R.I.T. Graduate Program Director Sam, McQuade.
McQuade is also a former law enforcement officer.
He says five to ten years ago, in this type of case, police looked at physical aspects alone, now there's so much more including online components.
“Blogs, chat, instant messaging, game forums, anywhere he may have posted about his plans, carry out this shooting,” McQuade said.
“Was this perpetrator engaged online? Through what kinds of forums and to what extent? McQuade asked. “Who did he communicate with and what did he communicate, if anything that pertained to his plans or his frustration to provide clues?”
McQuade says police will check I.T. devices and online accounts to see if anyone might have known about the gunman's plans or may have helped.
