» Outrage over Atlanta shootings; Obama cites gun epidemic, anti-Asian violence,

ATLANTA — The killing of eight people Tuesday night who worked at three metro Atlanta massage parlors has come amid a recent wave of attacks against Asian Americans that coincided with the spread of the coronavirus across the United States.

While metro Atlanta police are now saying Robert Aaron Long, who was arrested in South Georgia Tuesday night, was targeting massage parlors and “some type of porn industry,” the fact the shootings took place at spas, many of whom employ Asians, has brought renewed attention to alleged hate crimes against that demographic.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said President

Joe Biden “has been briefed overnight about the horrific shootings in Atlanta,” adding “White House officials have been in touch with the mayor’s office and will remain in touch with the FBI.”

Long, 21, is suspected in a series of shootings at Young’s Asian Massage Parlor in Cherokee County that left four dead and one person injured; the Gold Spa in Atlanta’s Buckhead neighborhood that left three women dead; and the Aromatherapy Spa across the street, where one woman was killed.

“Even as we’ve battled the pandemic, we’ve continued to neglect the longer-lasting epidemic of gun violence in America,” former President Barack Obama said on Twitter. “Although the shooter’s motive is not yet clear, the identity of the victims underscores an alarming rise in anti-Asian violence that must end.”

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said Wednesday its diplomats in Atlanta have confirmed from police that four of the victims who died were women of Korean descent.

Cherokee County Sheriff Frank Reynolds said Long may have a sexual addiction and frequented the types of businesses he allegedly targeted.

“During his interview, he gave no indicators that this was racially motivated,” Reynolds said. “We asked him that specifically and the answer was no.”

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who is under heavy criticism for a dramatic rise in violent crime in the city, offered her sympathies on social media, as did other state leaders.

Metropolitan areas such as New York City, Seattle and Houston are on alert regarding possible future crimes against Asian-Americans.

Civil liberties groups and prominent Americans also expressed their dismay. The Rev. Bernice King, daughter of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., said she’s “deeply saddened that we live in a nation and world permeated by hate and violence. I stand with Asian members of our World House, who are a part of our global human family.”

A rash of crimes victimizing elderly Asian Americans in the past two months has renewed outcry for more attention from politicians and the media.