Atlanta Spa Shootings

A young, white man commits a series of mass shootings at three massage parlours and spas in Atlanta, Georgia, leaving eight people dead and one wounded. Of the people killed, six of these individuals were Asian women with each business being Asian American owned. After his arrest, the gunman cited a sex addiction existing at odds with his religious beliefs as a motivator. Commentators and investigators have characterized the killings as hate crimes due to the targeted businesses and individuals, along with a rise in anti-Asian sentiment following the COVID-19 pandemic.