REMEMBERING GEORGIA SHOOTING VICTIMS
Shuhuei Lee, of Squirrel Hill, center, and others listen to a speaker Sunday during a candlelight vigil outside the City-County Building in Downtown. The vigil honored the victims of last week’s Atlanta-area shootings, in which a gunman killed eight people.
ATLANTA — Mothers, grandmothers, a brother. They loved to cook, dance, sing and travel. These are the eight people killed Tuesday by a gunman at three Atlantaarea massage businesses.
In the days since the shooting, fuller pictures of almost all the victims have emerged. The exception is Daoyou Feng, 44, an employee at Young’s Asian Massage, about whom little is known.
Yong Ae Yue
Sunday should have seen Yong Ae Yue, 63, buying groceries and cooking Korean food for her family. Instead, those relatives are mourning her death at the Aromatherapy Spa in Atlanta.
“We are devastated by the loss of our beloved mother, and words cannot adequately describe our grief,” her sons saidin a statement released by attorney BJay Pak.
Ms. Yue immigrated from South Korea to the U.S. She was a licensed massage therapist in Georgia who owned a home in the Atlanta suburb of Peachtree Corners.
Suncha Kim
A granddaughter lauds Suncha Kim’s love and mourns that she won’t be able to “watch her children and grandchildren live the life she never got to live.” Ms. Kim, 69, was one of three women killed at the Gold Spa in Atlanta.
Regina Song wrote that her grandmother was born in South Korea and came to the U.S. speaking little English but working multiple jobs.
“This took immense courage and my grandmother was a fighter,” Ms. Song wrote.
Soon Chung Park
Soon Chung Park spent much of her life in New York
and New Jersey before moving to Atlanta, her son-in-law Scott Lee said.
In Atlanta, Ms. Park, 74, made a new life and was engaged to Gwangho Lee, 38.
Ms. Park was the day manager at the Gold Spa. She was described as fit, youthful-looking and hard-working.
Hyun Jung Grant
Hyun Jung Grant loved disco music, often moonwalking while doing chores.
The single mom of two found ways to enjoy herself despite working “almost every day,” said her older son, Randy Park, 22.
Mr. Park was at home
Tuesday when he heard a gunman had opened fire at the Gold Spa, where his mom worked. He rushed to the scene but learned via word of mouth that she was dead.
Xiaojie “Emily” Tan
An entrepreneur who built multiple businesses after arriving in the U.S., Xiaojie “Emily” Tan was devoted to her work and family.
She owned Young’s Asian Massage, where she was killed two days shy of her 50th birthday. She leaves a daughter, Jami Webb, a University of Georgia graduate.
“She was the kind of lady that she wanted to depend on
herself,” said her husband, Jason Wang.
Paul Andre Michels
Paul Andre Michels owned a business installing security systems, a trade he learned after moving to the Atlanta area over 25 years ago.
He’d been talking about switching to a new line of work but never got the chance. He was killed at Young’s Asian Massage.
“He was a good, hard-working man who would do what he could do to help people,” his brother John Michels said.
Delaina Ashley Yaun
The day before she was
killed, Delaina Ashley Yaun, 33, dropped by Rita Barron’s boutique to show her photos of her 8-month-old daughter.
“She told me, ‘I’m happy. I want another baby,’ ” said Ms. Barron.
Thenext day, Ms. Yaun and herhusband were next door at Young’s Asian Massage.
Ms. Barron and her husband, Alejandro Acosta, heard gunshots and called 911.
Among those who walked out later was Ms. Yaun’s husband, unhurt but distraught. His wife had been killed.
“As you can imagine, he’s totally destroyed ... doesn’t want to talk with anybody,” said Mr. Acosta.