Georgia – Massage parlor shooting: 8 killed, one suspect arrested

A suspect is in custody after eight people were killed and one person was injured in three separate shooting incidents at different massage parlors in the Atlanta metro area on Tuesday night.

To note: Law enforcement officials in Georgia said all but one of the victims were female and six were of Asian descent. Officials in Seoul said four of the victims were of South Korean descent. According to the New York Times, the attacks were racially motivated.

What we know: The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office said Robert Aaron Long, a 21-year-old white man from Woodstock, Ga., Was arrested Tuesday night and charged with murder. The FBI is assisting authorities in Atlanta and Cherokee County with the investigation.

• The attacks began around 5 p.m. at the Young Asian massage parlor, about 30 miles north of Atlanta, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office said. Two people died at the scene and three were taken to hospital, where two of them died.
• About 50 minutes after the first shooting, police responding to reports of a theft revealed that three women had been shot dead at Gold Spa in the Buckhead neighborhood of Atlanta.
• While there, they received reports of gunfire at the aromatherapy spa across the street. Upon arrival, they found the body of a woman with gunshot wounds.
• The Atlanta Police Department said in a statement that video footage indicates “it is extremely likely” that the same person was responsible for all three shootings.

For memory: After the Atlanta shooting, the police new York and Seattle announced that it was increasing law enforcement presence in Asian-American communities.

• The Stop AAPI Hate reporting center said in a report While it was not immediately clear whether the shootings in Georgia were motivated by hate, there is “a lot of fear and pain in the Asian American community … which has been reeling from high levels. of racial discrimination. “
• The group released a report earlier Tuesday showing racist-fueled violence against Asian Americans continued to rise, with women more than twice as likely to be targeted as men.

What they say: His. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) Tweet, “My heart is broken tonight after the tragic violence in Atlanta that left eight people dead. Once again we see that hatred is deadly. Pray for the families of the victims and for peace for the community.”

Editor’s Note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.