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Princess Cubb
Staff Writer
Robert Aaron Long has been charged in three Atlanta, Ga., mass shootings. The shootings, occurring in spas, were all targeted within an hour and took the lives of eight people, six of those were Asian women.
The shootings incited fear and outrage in the Atlanta community. Mayor of Atlanta, Keshia Lance Bottoms, stated in a press conference that regardless of the determination about the motive, the tragedy was clear.
“Whatever the motivation was for this guy, we know that the majority of the victims were Asian,” Bottoms said in the press conference. “We also know that this is an issue that is happening across the country. It is unacceptable, it is hateful, and it has to stop.”
The 21-year-old man, Long, was not only charged him with eight counts of murder, but also one count of aggravated assault. The police arrested Long 150 miles south after a manhunt, the authorities stated.
Jackson State University, which supports a diverse culture of students, reacted to news of the crime.
Sean Taylor, a Jackson, Miss. native, said that not only do people have to fear for their lives during a pandemic, but also fear for it while having a regular day out.
“It’s really sad to hear about how people can’t even enjoy their day of pampering themselves without worrying if they are going to get shot,” said Taylor. “Honestly, people can not win for losing. We as the human race have to worry about so much just because pretty much every day our lives are on the line, and that goes for all ethnicities.”
Alexis Morgan, a senior business management major from New Orleans, La., believes the crimes were motivated by hate against the Asian community.
“People really shouldn’t have to worry if their loved ones will make it home safely because that should already be a given,” said Morgan. “Not only does it seem like a hate crime, but a direct target to whatever that man’s motive was.
Morgan added, “As often as I get my nails done, it is not common that you hear of someone shooting up the place. Not once, but three spas within an hour’s time.”
The eight victims have been identified as Delaina Yaun, Paul Andre Michels, Xiaojie Tan, Daoyou Feng, Soon Chung Park, Hyun Jung Grant, Sun Cha Kim, and Yong Ae Yue. The victims and their families have gained support from online fundraiser accounts, one of which has raised nearly $3 million dollars.
Residents and health officials have called on investigators to consider hate crime charges against the suspect, whether on the basis of race or sex. Both are covered in Georgia’s hate crime law.
A court date has been set for Long’s next hearing. He waived his first court appearance. Since 7 of the 8 victims were women, and 6 of those women were Asian, hate crime charges are still potentially on the table.
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