The 21-year-old suspect, Robert Aaron Long, has been charged with eight counts of murder and homicide, as well as one count of aggravated assault.
What We Know:
- Four counts against the man are for the shootings committed at two spas in Atlanta. The other four are related to the gun down at a Cherokee County spa. Long also faces one aggravated assault charge. The attacks began at around 5 p.m. on Tuesday near Acworth; less than an hour later, four women were killed in Atlanta.
- Only four victims from the Acworth shooting have been identified so far: Delaina Ashley Yaun, 33, Xiaojie Tan, 49, Daoyou Feng, 44, and Paul Andre Michels, 54. One person survived and is healing from his injuries, Elcias R. Hernandez-Ortiz, 30.
- Long told authorities he has a sex addiction and wanted to cleanse himself of his temptation through the shootings. He told officials he was a frequenter in at least two of the spas. He was also reportedly traveling to Florida to carry out additional assaults. The police arrested Long in Crisp County, which is around 125 miles south of Atlanta, after a short chase.
- A majority of the victims were Asian women, and many consider Long’s actions a hate crime. This has spurred Asian-American leaders and allies to call for solidarity and push against prejudicial violence. However, police say it is too early to confirm the murders were racially motivated. Long has also denied these allegations. In addition, he claimed he was having a “bad day.” It is said Long purchased the weapon used that same day.
Long is currently being detained in Cherokee County. He is being held without bond and was arraigned Thursday morning. The past couple of months have seen a rise in the number of racial attacks towards Asians and Asian-Americans. The shooting on Tuesday has made the public more aware of the issue. It has called citizens to action to ensure xenophobic offenses become less common.
