A suspect is in custody after eight people were killed and one person injured in three separate shooting incidents at various massage parlors in the Atlanta metropolitan area.
Remarkable: Law enforcement in Georgia said all but one of the victims were women, and six were of Asian descent, which, according to the New York Times, expressed concern that the attacks were racially motivated. Officials in Seoul said four of the victims were of South Korean descent.
What we know: The Sheriff’s Sheriff’s Office said Robert Aaron Long, a 21-year-old white man from Woodstock, Georgia, was arrested Tuesday night and charged with murder. The FBI is assisting Atlanta and Cherokee County authorities with the investigation.
- The attacks began at about 5pm at Youngs Asian Massage Parlor, about 30 miles north of Atlanta, the Sheriff’s Office said. Two people died at the scene and three were taken to hospital, where two of them died.
- About 50 minutes later, in response to reports of a robbery, police found three people dead at Gold Spa in the Buckhead area of Atlanta.
- While there, they received reports of shots being fired at the Aromatherapy Spa across the street. Upon their arrival, they found the body of a woman with gunshot wounds.
- The Atlanta police station said in a statement that video footage indicates that it is likely that the same person was responsible for all three shooting incidents.
For the record: Following the shooting in Atlanta, police in New york and Seattle announced that they are increasing the presence of law enforcers in Asian American communities.
- Reporting Center Stop AAPI Hate said in a statement although it was not immediately clear whether the shooting in Georgia was motivated by hatred, there is “a great deal of fear and pain in the Asian American community … which is the result of high levels of racial discrimination.” ‘
- Earlier Tuesday, the group published a report showing that racist violence against Asian Americans has continued to increase, and that women are being targeted more than twice as often as men.
What they say: Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) Tweeted“My heart is broken tonight after the tragic violence in Atlanta that took eight lives. Once again we see that hatred is deadly. Pray for the families of the victims and for peace for the community.”
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Editor’s note: this is a breakthrough in the news. Please come and check for updates.