Charles Hampton, deputy chief of police in Atlanta, Georgia, is briefing on the investigation of the serial shootings at the police headquarters on the 18th. He said he did not rule out hate crime prosecution against shooter Robert Aaron Long, who killed eight victims, including an Asian woman. Atlanta = Reuters Yonhap News
The US police investigating the serial shootings of Atlanta, Georgia, where eight people, including four Koreans, were killed, confirmed that the shooter had visited massage shops and spas before the incident. He added that it does not rule out the possibility of prosecuting hate crimes against shooters.
Atlanta Deputy Police Commissioner Charles Hampton said in a briefing on the investigation on the 18th (local time), “(shooter Robert Aaron Long visited the area frequently) before the shooting on the 16th.” However, it did not explain exactly when and for what purpose.
He also said, “I don’t have any opinions” when asked, “Is the police investigating this case with the possibility of hate crimes in mind?” Answered. The Associated Press reported that the police did not rule out the possibility of prosecuting hate crimes against the shooter Long (21).
In front of the Gold Spa, the scene of the shooting disaster in Atlanta, USA on the 17th, commemorative bouquets and writings left in the rain by citizens are placed. Atlanta = Yonhap News
At a briefing on the 17th, the Cherokee County investigative authorities, where the shooting took place earlier, were criticized for saying that it was too early to judge the case as a hate crime. In addition, the suspect’s history of addiction to sex was also mentioned, raising controversy over the motive of the crime. In particular, Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office Spokesman Jay Baker said, “He (shooter Long) was completely exhausted and at a sort of dead end. Yesterday was a really bad day for him.”
“Our investigation is separate from the Cherokee County investigation. Our survey will be slightly different. There are four Asian women killed, so we’ll look at everything.”
On the afternoon of the 16th, Long fired a gun at a massage shop in Cherokee County near Atlanta, killing four and injuring one. He then moved to two spas in Atlanta and was arrested after killing four Korean women.
Washington= Jeong Won Correspondent [email protected]
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