Suspect in Atlanta spa shootings to face hate crime charges
ATLANTA — Eight weeks after eight people were killed at three metro Atlanta spas, a Fulton County grand jury has indicted the alleged gunman, the district attorney’s office said Tuesday. Prosecutors also plan to seek the death penalty and pursue hate crime charges, according to court filings.
Robert Aaron Long, 22, was indicted on four counts of murder for the March 16 shootings, along with aggravated assault, domestic terrorism and possession of a weapon. Long has also been charged with four counts of murder in Cherokee County.
Investigators believe Long’s killing spree started at Youngs Asian Massage near Acworth, where he shot five people, killing four. Ashley Yaun, 33, Paul Andre Michels, 54, Xiaojie Tan, 49, and Daoyou Feng, 44, all died from their injuries.
From there, Long is accused of driving 30 miles to Atlanta, where he again targeted spas, police have said.
Atlanta officers were called to a report of a robbery at the Gold Spa, located at 1916 Piedmont Road. Inside, officers found three women dead from gunshot wounds, according to Sgt. John Chafee.
While investigating that incident, officers were told shots were fired across the street at the Aromatherapy Spa. There, investigators found another woman shot to death.
Yong Ae Yue, 63, Soon Chung Park, 74, Suncha Kim, 69, and Hyun Jung Grant, 51, were killed in the Atlanta businesses.
Of the eight killed, six were Asian women, prompting many to believe the crimes were racially motivated.
Later that night, Long was arrested in Crisp County, about 150 miles south of Atlanta. He was later charged with murder in both Cherokee and Fulton counties. After his arrest, Long told investigators he was overwhelmed by what he described as a sexual addiction at odds with his religious beliefs, authorities said.
On Tuesday, Long remained in the Cherokee jail, where he was being held without bond. His case has not been presented to a Cherokee grand jury.