Robert Aaron Long was a 21-year-old white man from Woodstock, Georgia. He told investigators he had a sex addiction that conflicted with his religious beliefs and that he targeted the spas to eliminate sources of temptation. He pleaded guilty in Cherokee County and received life without parole, and later pleaded guilty in Fulton County, also receiving life sentences. Authorities pursued hate crime and terrorism enhancements in Fulton County.
Victims
Xiaojie Tan (49)
Daoyou Feng (44)
Delaina Ashley Yaun (33)
Paul Andre Michels (54)
Soon Chung Park (74)
Hyun Jung Grant (51)
Suncha Kim (69)
Yong Ae Yue (63)
Location
Atlanta, USA
Summary
A gunman killed eight people, six of them women of Asian descent, in shootings at three spas in the Atlanta metropolitan area on March 16, 2021.
Details
On March 16, 2021, Robert Aaron Long opened fire at Young's Asian Massage near Acworth in Cherokee County, killing four people, then drove to Atlanta and attacked Gold Spa and Aromatherapy Spa, killing four more. Six of the eight victims were women of Asian descent, and the killings fueled national concern over anti-Asian violence amid a rise in such incidents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Long was arrested the same day after a vehicle pursuit in south Georgia. He pleaded guilty in Cherokee County and was sentenced to life without parole, and later pleaded guilty in Fulton County.
Overview
On the evening of March 16, 2021, a gunman carried out a series of shootings at three spas and massage businesses in the Atlanta metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Georgia. Eight people were killed and one other person was wounded. Six of the eight victims were women of Asian descent, which prompted national debate about anti-Asian violence amid a documented rise in such incidents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Authorities arrested 21-year-old Robert Aaron Long of Woodstock, Georgia, the same night, after his parents reportedly helped identify him from surveillance images. He was apprehended in Crisp County, Georgia, while reportedly heading toward Florida, where investigators said he intended to carry out further attacks.
The Shootings
The first attack took place at Young's Asian Massage near Acworth in Cherokee County, where four people were killed and a fifth was wounded. The victims there were later identified as Delaina Ashley Yaun, Paul Andre Michels, Xiaojie Tan, and Daoyou Feng. Elcias Hernandez-Ortiz was injured in the shooting.
Roughly an hour later and about 30 miles away, shootings occurred at two spas across the street from one another in northeast Atlanta: Gold Spa and Aromatherapy Spa. Four more women were killed at those two locations. The Atlanta victims were identified as Soon Chung Park, Hyun Jung Grant, Suncha Kim, and Yong Ae Yue. The two clusters of shootings were initially investigated separately before being connected.
Victims
The eight people killed were Delaina Ashley Yaun, Paul Andre Michels, Xiaojie Tan, Daoyou Feng, Soon Chung Park, Hyun Jung Grant, Suncha Kim, and Yong Ae Yue. Six of the victims were women of Asian descent, several of whom were of Korean or Chinese heritage and worked at the businesses. The non-Asian victims included Yaun, who was a customer at the first location, and Michels.
The attack drew widespread attention to the safety of Asian American communities and to workers in massage and spa businesses. Vigils were held across the United States, and public officials, including President Joe Biden, addressed the killings and the broader climate of anti-Asian harassment and violence.
Perpetrator and Stated Motive
Robert Aaron Long was 21 years old at the time of the shootings and lived in Woodstock, Georgia. According to investigators, Long told police that he had a sexual addiction and viewed the spas as a temptation he sought to eliminate, a statement authorities relayed publicly. This account of motive became a central point of contention.
Many observers, advocacy groups, and elected officials argued that the targeting of Asian-owned businesses and the killing of predominantly Asian women indicated a racial element, regardless of the perpetrator's stated reasoning. Law enforcement officials initially said it was too early to determine whether the attacks legally constituted hate crimes, a position that drew criticism. A Cherokee County sheriff's spokesman faced backlash for remarks describing the suspect as having had a 'bad day,' and he was later removed from his role as spokesman on the case.
Legal Proceedings and Sentencing
Long faced separate prosecutions in Cherokee County and Fulton County, reflecting the locations of the shootings. In July 2021, he pleaded guilty to the four murders that occurred in Cherokee County and received four sentences of life in prison without the possibility of parole, along with additional time for related charges.
In Fulton County, where prosecutors pursued hate-crime sentencing enhancements and initially indicated they would seek the death penalty, Long pleaded guilty in 2022 to the four murders committed there. He received additional life sentences. The case became one of the early high-profile applications of Georgia's hate-crime law, which had been enacted in 2020.
Impact and Legacy
The Atlanta spa shootings became a focal point in national discussions about anti-Asian racism, misogyny, and gun violence in the United States. The killings occurred during a period in which Asian American advocacy organizations reported a sharp increase in harassment and assaults, which many linked to rhetoric surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
The case also prompted broader conversations about the intersection of race, gender, and the working conditions of immigrant women in spa and massage industries. Memorials and community gatherings honored the victims, and the events contributed to legislative and public-awareness efforts aimed at addressing hate crimes and protecting Asian American communities.
Video Coverage
Frequently asked questions
What was the Atlanta Spa Shootings case?
A gunman killed eight people, six of them women of Asian descent, in shootings at three spas in the Atlanta metropolitan area on March 16, 2021.
Who was responsible for Atlanta Spa Shootings?
Robert Aaron Long. Robert Aaron Long was a 21-year-old white man from Woodstock, Georgia. He told investigators he had a sex addiction that conflicted with his religious beliefs and that he targeted the spas to eliminate sources of temptation. He pleaded guilty in Cherokee County and received life without parole, and later pleaded guilty in Fulton County, also receiving life sentences. Authorities pursued hate crime and terrorism enhancements in Fulton County.
Who were the victims of the Atlanta Spa Shootings case?
The named victims were Xiaojie Tan, Daoyou Feng, Delaina Ashley Yaun, Paul Andre Michels, Soon Chung Park, Hyun Jung Grant, Suncha Kim, Yong Ae Yue.
Where and when did the Atlanta Spa Shootings case take place?
