Eight people, six of whom were women of Asian descent, were killed in a series of shootings at three spas in or near Atlanta, Georgia on Tuesday night.
The suspected gunman, a 21-year-old white man named Robert Aaron Long, was arrested several hours later, according to law enforcement. The authorities have not publicly reported a potential motive for the attacks.
The shootings transpired amid escalating reports of hate incidents against Asian-Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic, which ex-President Donald Trump repeatedly referred to as “the China virus” in a racist attempt to blame China for his botched response to the virus.
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- Law enforcement reports that the first shooting occurred at around 5 PM ET at Young’s Asian Massage in Cherokee County (about 40 miles away from Atlanta), where two women of Asian descent, a white woman and a white man were killed.
- About an hour later, Atlanta police officers responding to a call reporting a robbery at the Gold Spa beauty salon discovered that three women of Asian descent had been fatally shot there, according to authorities.
- Then the officers at the scene found another female shooting victim of Asian descent in a spa across the street after receiving a call of shots fired, Atlanta Police Chief Rodney Bryant says.
- The suspected gunman was arrested at around 8:30 p.m ET after brief manhunt, according to authorities. A potential motive for the attacks has not yet been reported.
Eight people, six of whom were women of Asian descent, were killed in a series of shootings at three spas in or near Atlanta, Georgia on Tuesday night.
The suspected gunman, a 21-year-old white man named Robert Aaron Long, was arrested several hours later, according to law enforcement. The authorities have not publicly reported a potential motive for the attacks.
The shootings transpired amid escalating reports of hate incidents against Asian-Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic, which ex-President Donald Trump repeatedly referred to as “the China virus” in a racist attempt to blame China for his botched response to the virus.
Follow our live coverage below:
The only bit of good news in a sad and grim story.
What a country.
The Rotting Mango’s legacy of hate and blame.
Chances he was also a Capitol Hill insurrectionist seem quite high.
Not sure yet. I’m told four of the women who were killed were of Korean descent (and meanwhile the suspect drove a Korean car, of course).
Not sure if he was a Trumper, or just a robber looking for what are called “soft targets” – or something else.
Last year when Trump started blaming China with the “China Virus” and the “Kung Flu”, and the general GOP hostility towards China, I expressed my concern because republican fans that are very violent and not too smart will attack any Asian looking person, of which there are many in my neighborhood.
It saddens me that I was right, and many of the women killed weren’t even Chinese, they were Korean. Which like in the previous progrom against muslim, Hindus and Sikhs were targeted.