Prosecutor will reportedly seek death penalty for Atlanta spa shooting suspect

(Image credit: VIRGINIE KIPPELEN/AFP via Getty Images)

published 11 May 2021

Prosecutors will seek the death penalty for Robert Aaron Long, the suspect in March's shooting at three Atlanta-area spas, CNN reports.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis filed a notice Tuesday indicating she will seek the death penalty and enhanced hate crimes charges for Long, according to the report. Eight people were killed in the shootings, six of whom were women of Asian descent.

In the filing, Willis said that Long allegedly "targeted some of the victims because they were of Asian descent," The New York Times writes. This case will be the "first test" of a Georgia hate crimes law passed last year, under which suspects can face enhanced penalties if victims were targeted for their race, gender, or sexual orientation, CNN notes. The Cherokee County Sheriff's office said in March that Long claimed to investigators "the crimes were not racially motivated."

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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.

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