Georgia DA Will Seek Death Penalty Against Suspect Of Atlanta Spa Shootings

The Fulton County District Attorney will seek hate crime charges and the death penalty against the man accused of shooting and killing eight people at three Atlanta-area spas.

Grand jurors indicted Robert Aaron Long, 22, on murder charges after the March 16 shootings. Long, who is white, is accused of killing eight, including six women of Asian decent.

Filings show that District Attorney Fani Willis will seek the death penalty, the Associated Press and 11 Alive report. The station also noted that the notice filed indicates that Willis is straying from her campaign promises, when she committed to declining the death penalty.

The three massage parlor shootings happened within an hour. About three hours after the first one, around 8:30 p.m., authorities apprehended Long about 150 miles away from Atlanta, according to previous reports.

The shootings have since sparked calls to end racially-motivated hate against others, including by actor and comedian Ken Jeong. He shared a video on Twitter urging people to “stop the pandemic of hate.” The Hangover star also donated $50,000 to the families of the victims.

Megan The Stallion also partnered with Fashion Nova and activist Mary Lee in response to the shootings, donating $50,000 to Asian Americans Advancing Justice in Atlanta.

Photo: Crisp County Sheriff's Office, via Getty Images