#Roommates, many are still shocked and heartbroken regarding the recent deadly shootings at three Atlanta-area spas that left eight people dead—and now Atlanta authorities have moved quickly to charge the shooter. Robert Aaron Long has just been formally charged with eight counts of murder for the lives he took that were mostly those of Asian American descent.
@NBCNews reports, Robert Aaron Long, the man arrested as the shooter in the fatal murders of eight people at three separate Atlanta-area spas, has officially been charged with eight counts of murder. The first four counts against Long, 21, are related to the two shootings at two metro Atlanta spas and the final four counts are for the shooting at a spa in Cherokee County, which is northwest of the city. Additionally, he also faces a charge of aggravated assault, also in Cherokee County.
As we previously reported, Robert Aaron Long was taken into custody late Tuesday night after being swiftly found and identified by local authorities. The shootings started around 5PM in Atlanta when Long reportedly opened fire at the spa in Cherokee County and killed four people. Less than an hour later, he arrived in metro Atlanta and killed four more people in spas that were located directly across the street from each other. Two of the victims in the Cherokee County shooting were Asian and all four of the victims in the Atlanta shooting were Asian as well. Two additional victims were white and there is currently a survivor who is recovering after being injured.
Previously, Atlanta authorities stated that Long told them that his motivation for the murders was because he suffered from a sex addiction—and believed that the spas were too much temptation for him and they should be eliminated. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms fired back at suggestions from Long that the spas had involvement in sex work. “[These spas are] legally operating businesses that have not been on our radar. We are not about to get into victim blaming, victim shaming here.”
Following the news of the tragic murder spree, the hashtag #StopAsianHate began to trend on social media, with notable figures such as Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris speaking out against the violence.
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