Young’s Asian Massage.Photo: ERIK S LESSER/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
A mass shooter accused of eight murders at three Atlanta-area spas in which a majority of his victims were Asian pled guilty Tuesday to four of those killings.
Robert Aaron Long, 22, admitted to those four murders in a plea deal in Cherokee County, reportsABC News. He still faces charges in a separate county related to the additional four victims.
Cherokee County prosecutors recommended that Long be sentenced to life without parole for the four killings that occurred in their county on March 16 inside Young’s Asian Massage outside Acworth, Ga, reportsNBC News.
His victims on that day included Xiaojie Tan, 49, and Daoyou Feng, 44, both of whom worked at the spa; customer Delaina Ashley Yaun, 33; and Paul Andre Michels, 54, a contractor who was on site working at the business.
Upon his arrest, Long allegedly confessed to the slayings and told police he had a sexual addiction, authoritiesannounced at a March press conference.
At the time, Cherokee County Sheriff Frank Reynolds, speaking about Long, said, “He made indicators that he has some issues, potentially sexual addiction, and may have frequented some of these places in the past.”
Reynolds said possible racial animus toward the victims, six of whom were Asian women, “did not appear to be the motive,” instead describing the victims as “targets of opportunity.”
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In court Tuesday, Cherokee County District Attorney Shannon Wallace shared that the defense team holds a similar position.
The charges still facing Long involve the shooting in Fulton County at Gold Spa, where three women were killed, and across the street at Fuji Spa, where one woman died. According to ABC News, the 19-count Fulton County indictment accuses Long of murder, felony murder, aggravated assault and domestic terrorism.
To learn more and to report crimes, go to:Asian Americans Advancing Justice,Stop the AAPI Hate,National Council of Asian Pacific Americans,Asian Americans Advancing Justice-LA, andAsian Pacific Policy & Planning Council.
source: people.com
