Robert Aaron Long (25), the Atlanta spa shooter, may face the death penalty after the Fulton County Superior Court accepted his initial confession as evidence.
Prosecutors had previously sought the death penalty for Long on 19 charges, including murder. The court’s decision strengthens the prosecution’s case, allowing them to present his confession to the jury. If the jury delivers a guilty verdict, the judge will have the authority to impose the death penalty.
Long is already serving a life sentence for killing four people at Young’s Asian Massage in Cherokee County, Georgia. On March 16, 2021, he shot and killed four victims before driving 30 miles south to Atlanta. There, he entered Gold Spa and Aromatherapy Spa, where he fatally shot Yeo Young-ae, Park Soon-jeong, Kim Soon-ja, and Hyun-jeong Grant, all Korean women in their 50s to 70s.
Shortly after the shooting, local police arrested Long as he attempted to flee to Florida.
The Fulton County prosecution has charged Long with murder, aggravated assault, and domestic terrorism, arguing that the crime qualifies as a hate crime based on race and gender. His next court hearing is set for the end of April.
BY HYOUNGJAE KIM [kim.ian@koreadaily.com]
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