CORRECTS DATELINE TO ACWORTH INSTEAD OF WOODSTOCK - Authorities investigate a fatal shooting at a massage parlor, late Tuesday, March 16, 2021, in Acworth, Ga. Officials say 21-year-old Robert Aaron Long, of Woodstock, Georgia, has been captured hours after multiple people were killed in shootings at three Atlanta-area massage parlors. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
CORRECTION Massage Parlor Shooting
ATLANTA (77 WABC ) —Eight people are dead after a gunman opened fire at three Atlanta area massage parlors Tuesday night.
The motive for the shooting is under investigation, but six of the people shot dead were Asian women. Authorities are concerned this is yet another hate crime against Asian Americas.
21-year-old Georgia resident Robert Aaron Long was arrested in connection to the shootings. Police believe he acted alone.
In a news conference Wednesday morning, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said the suspect was on his way to Florida to “perhaps to carry out additional shootings.”
The first shooting began around 5pm at Young Asian Massage Parlor in a Cherokee County strip mall. That’s where five people were shot. The second shooting occurred at the Gold Spa where police responded to calls of a robbery in progress. Three women were found dead when police arrived. The third shooting was at Aroma Therapy Spa where one person was found dead.
According to a Stop AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) Hate news release, the organization received a total of 3,292 complaints from all 50 states and Washington, DC since March 19, 2020.
Few details have been released, including whether or not the shootings were related or motivated by hate. But right now there is a great deal of fear and pain in the Asian American community that must be addressed.
— Stop AAPI Hate (@StopAAPIHate) March 17, 2021
New York City is also staying vigilant during this time.
#NYPDCT is monitoring the shooting of Asian Americans in Georgia. While there is no known nexus to #NYC we will be deploying assets to our great Asian communities across the city out of an abundance of caution. #SeeSomethingSaySomething pic.twitter.com/Vl87DPRR8m
— NYPDCounterterrorism (@NYPDCT) March 17, 2021
