Tuesday, March 30th, 2021 marks the two week anniversary of the horrific Atlanta Spa Shooting, which took the lives of 8 people, including six Asian women. Many have been quick to call the incident a hate crime, and specifically one of anti-Asian sentiments. The shootings come at the precipice of surging racism and violence against Asian Americans amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Robert Aaron Long, a 21-year-old white male, is facing four counts of murder in Cherokee County, as well as four counts of murder for the two spa shootings in Mid-town Atlanta.
A court date has yet to be set for Long’s hearing.
Oglethorpe University, located in North Atlanta, hosted a virtual remembrance service on Tuesday to honor the lives lost on the two week anniversary of the shooting. The event, headed by the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, provided a space for reflection and support of the AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) and greater Atlanta community.
The heartbreaking and senseless event has sparked outrage and media attention around the nation, including a viral GoFundMe page that has garnered more than $2.8 million to support the children of a shooting victim.
Fundraisers have been made for almost all of the victims: Delaina Ashley Yaun, 33, Paul Andre Michels, 54, Xiaojie Tan, 49, Daoyou Feng, 44, Soon Chung Park, 74, Hyun JungGrant, 51, Sun Cha Kim, 69, and Yong Ae Yue.
GoFundMe.org has also launched a #StopAsianHate Initiative, which aims to amplify and to address the urgent issues that face the AAPI community through donations that will be sent directly to trusted AAPI organizations working to rectify racial inequalities.
Oglethorpe University is additionally hosting ‘Keepin’ it in the Campus’, a virtual event on April 7th presented by the Center for Civic Engagement, with focused discussions on racism, Asian portrayal in media, the spa industry, and more.
Further information on the event can be found on OU Connect.