Atlanta Spa Shootings Kill Eight; Six Victims Asian Women; Prompts Hate Crimes Act

Robert Aaron Long shot and killed eight people at three Atlanta-area spas on March 16, 2021, six of whom were Asian women. The attack occurred amid a documented surge in anti-Asian hate crimes linked to COVID-19 rhetoric. The killings prompted discussions of solidarity between Black and Asian communities and led to the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act signed May 2021.