Georgia massage parlor shootings leave eight dead: Details
What's the story
Shootings at two massage parlors in Atlanta and one in the suburbs left eight people dead, many of them women of Asian descent, authorities said on Tuesday. Atlanta Police Chief Rodney Bryant said three people were killed at a spa in northeast Atlanta, while a fourth person was killed at another spa across the street. He said that all four victims were female.
Details
Atlanta Police responded to two separate shootings in same area
Atlanta police officers responding to a call of a robbery in progress at one spa around 5:50 pm (local time) found three women dead from apparent gunshot wounds. While they were at that scene, they learned of a call reporting shots fired at another spa across the street and found a woman who appeared to have been shot dead inside the business.
Information
Earlier, five people were shot at another parlor in Acworth
"Earlier, around 5 pm, five people were shot at Young's Asian Massage Parlor in Acworth, Georgia, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of Atlanta," Cherokee County Sheriff's Office spokesman Capt. Jay Baker said. "Two of the victims were dead and three were transported to a hospital where two of them also died," Baker added.
Suspect
Suspect in custody, is reportedly involved in all three shootings
"A man suspected in Acworth shooting was captured by surveillance video pulling up to the business around 4:50 pm on Tuesday, minutes before the shooting," authorities said. Baker said, "The suspect, Robert Aaron Long (21), of Woodstock, was taken into custody in Crisp County, about 150 miles south of Atlanta." Baker said that they believe Long is also the suspect in the Atlanta shootings.
Information
Officers deployed to check similar businesses, patrols increased in area
With two shootings at massage parlors in Atlanta and the knowledge of the Acworth shooting, Atlanta Police said that they dispatched officers to check nearby similar businesses and increased patrols in the area.