Five years after the Atlanta-area spa shootings, community continues working toward healing
Monday marks five years since a series of deadly shootings at local massage businesses shocked metro Atlanta and started a conversation about hostility toward Asian Americans across the country.
Robert Aaron Long faces the death penalty if found guilty of the 2021 killings in Atlanta. He is already serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole in Cherokee County.
Long, 25, killed four people at Youngs Asian Massage in Cherokee County on March 16, 2021: Xiaojie "Emily" Tan, 49; Daoyou Feng, 44; Delaina Yaun, 33; and Paul Michels, 54. Authorities say he then drove about 30 miles south to Atlanta, where he killed three women — Suncha Kim, 69; Soon Chung Park, 74; and Hyun Jung Grant, 51 — at Gold Spa and then crossed the street and killed Yong Ae Yue, 63, at Aromatherapy Spa.
Two of the Cherokee County victims and all of the Atlanta victims were women of Asian descent. Prosecutors in Fulton County are seeking the death penalty and a hate crimes sentencing enhancement in the Atlanta killings. Prosecutors in Cherokee County didn't seek the death penalty, and Long pleaded guilty there just months after the killings.
Long told investigators he struggled with pornography and sex and believed he was an addict. Authorities say Long claimed that the killings were not racially motivated, saying that he targeted the businesses because of his addiction.
Advocates have pointed to the violence as another incident of racist attacks that happened during the COVID-19 pandemic. The hashtag #StopAsianHate was a top trending topic on Twitter hours after the shootings.
Duluth Councilwoman Sarah Park says while time has passed, she isn't sure the community will ever fully heal.
Park was part of the initial response team in the days following the shootings, helping support victims' families and a community in shock.
This week, she's helping organize remembrance events, and she's bringing together leaders and residents from across Atlanta to reflect and talk about how the community is feeling today.
"I think if we are asking each other, did we heal from it? I think the answer will be no. Even people who shared resources or cared for the tragic event, and also, you know, families who are still living through it," Park said. "So I think it's still the stage we are talking about healing or what actually took place. But we wanted this year to be where we can hear from one another and just check in."
Multiple events are happening on Monday, including one on the steps of the state Capitol, where Georgia Rep. Long Tran and members of the Georgia Legislature's AAPI conference will hold a press conference to mark the anniversary.
Long's next court date will be on March 30, when he is set to appear before a judge for an inquiry hearing.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
