Atlanta police are giving an update this morning on the arrest of 21-year-old Robert Aaron Long, the lone suspect in a shooting spree at three Atlanta-area massage parlors that left 8 people dead:
Cherokee County Sheriff Frank Reynolds says the suspect in a shooting spree that left eight people dead, including six people of Asian descent, bought the gun he used just hours earlier.https://t.co/r3yineD6r3
— Greg Bluestein (@bluestein) March 17, 2021
Six of the dead were Asian-American women:
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.https://t.co/hRywGuDMd1
— NAPAWF (@NAPAWF) March 17, 2021
And Rep. Ted Lieu was quick to link former President Trump to the horrific crime:
The former President used racist phrases like Kung Flu that inflamed discrimination against the Asian American community. Officials that continue to use ethnic identifiers in describing the virus are part of the problem. Please instead be a part of the solution. #StopAsianHate https://t.co/xxg3A12aAH
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) March 17, 2021
But it’s not clear if race played *any* part in the murders.
From Atlanta Police Chief Rodney Bryant: “We’re still early in this investigation, so we cannot make that determination”:
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Atlanta PD says it is too early in the investigation to determine if Tuesday’s shootings are a hate crime.
Chief Rodney Bryant of the Atlanta Police Department: “we're still early in this investigation, so we cannot make that determination.”— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) March 17, 2021
The suspect, Long, is talking to authorities and spoke of a “sexual addiction.” Cherokee City Sheriff Frank Reynolds added, “indicators now may not be” racially motivated:
New: Atlanta shooting suspect told police he had “sexual addiction”, “indicators now may not be” racially motivated, says Cherokee Cty Sheriff Frank Reynolds.
— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) March 17, 2021
And Long “may have frequented some of these places in the past”:
NEW: The suspect in the Atlanta area massage parlor shootings, Robert Aaron Long, is speaking with police and he made an indication that he has sexual addiction issues and "may have frequented some of these places in the past", Cherokee County Sheriff Frank Reynolds says.
— Tom Winter (@Tom_Winter) March 17, 2021
We’re sure all the Dems blaming Trump will be quick to issue corrections if/when necessary, right?
MORE: Sheriff Reynolds says the suspect did not indicate that this was a racially motivated shooting.
— Tom Winter (@Tom_Winter) March 17, 2021
Authorities also said he may have been on his way to Florida to carry out additional attacks:
More: Mayor Keisha Lances Bottoms says suspect was “on his way to Florida”, possibly “to carry out additional shootings”.
— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) March 17, 2021
Police say they tracked him down using cell phone data:
MORE: Police and deputies were able to track the suspect in the Atlanta area massage parlor shootings by his cell phone which ultimately led to his arrest according to Cherokee Sheriff Frank Reynolds.
— Tom Winter (@Tom_Winter) March 17, 2021
We’ll keep you posted.
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