The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Shootings spark outrage, deep concern across U. S.
Asian American leaders insist Georgia officials speak against violence.
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 t he coronavirus across t he United States.
While metro Atlanta police are now saying Robert Aaron Long, who was arrested Tuesday night in South Georgia, was targeting massage parlors and “some type of porn industry,” the fact the shootings took place at local 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.” A formal White House statement was expected later Wednesday.
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 shot to death.
“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 Wednesday 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.”
“I want to mention the attacks that happened just a few hours ago in Atlanta, in which several women were killed, including, we believe, four women of Korean descent,” U. S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters Wednesday morning. “We are horrified by this violence which has no place in America or anywhere.”
A community ‘ horrified’
Reaction to the shootings has come from national leading sports figures, other mayors and congressional representatives with large Asian populations.
“We are appalled and devast ated at t he violence i n Georgia that has taken eight lives, six of whom were Asian American women,” said Sung Yeon Choimorrow, executive director of the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum. “We mourn with the families of these victims. We are horrified and continue to be concerned for the safety of our community members across the country as violence toward Asian Americans has escalated. Elected officials in Georgia must support these families and speak up immediately against hate and violence directed at the Asian American community.”
“Last night, eight people were tragically shot and killed in Atlanta ,” said Charlie Flemming, Georgia AFL-CIO president .“All but two were Asian American, and all but one were women. These women were killed while working l ow- wage, vulnerable jobs while the COVID- 19 pandemic continues. While the motive for the shootings ( is) still under investigation, one thing is certain: These attacks speak to the systemic impacts of misogyny, racism and white supremacy targeted at the Asian American community. West and in solidarity with the families who have had these lives unjustly stolen from them. However, Asian Americans need more than solidarity — they need our support, commitment and real solutions.”
Major cities wary of spike
Huge metropolitan areas such as New York City, Seattle and Houston are on alert regarding possible future crimes against Asian American populations.
A rash of crimes victimizing elderly Asian Americans in the past two months has renewed an outcry for more attention from politicians and the media. On Wednesday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed off on legislation allocating $ 1.4 million to Stop AAPI Hate and the UCLA Asian American Studies Center. The funding will go toward community resources and further tracking of anti- Asian hate incidents.
More than 3,000 incidents have been reported to Stop AAPI Hate, a California- based reporting center for Asian American Pacific Islanders, and its partner advocacy groups, since mid- March 2020. While the encounters don’t often rise to the legal definition of a hate crime, police in several major cities still saw an uptick in Asian-targeted hate crimes between 2019 and 2020, according to data collected by the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism, California State University, San Bernardino.
New York City went from three incidents to 27, Los Angeles from seven to 15, and Denver had three incidents in 2020 — the first reported there in six years.
‘ We are appalled and devastated at the violence in Georgia that has taken eight lives, six of whom were Asian American women. We mourn with the families of these victims. We are horrified and continue to be concerned for the safety of our community members across the country as violence toward Asian Americans has escalated.’
Sung Yeon Choimorrow, executive director, National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum