Soon Chung Park, a 74-year-old woman of Korean descent, was one of eight people killed in a series of shootings at three Atlanta-area spas on March 16, 2021. Park, who also went by the name Julie, was working as the day manager and cook at Gold Spa on Piedmont Road in Atlanta when a gunman entered and opened fire. She died from a gunshot wound to the head.
The shooting spree began earlier that day at Youngs Asian Massage in Cherokee County, about 30 miles away, before the gunman targeted two spas in Atlanta. In total, eight people lost their lives, six of whom were women of Asian descent. The victims at the two Atlanta spas, in addition to Park, were Suncha Kim, 69; Hyun Jung Grant, 51; and Yong Ae Yue, 63. The victims in Cherokee County were Xiaojie “Emily” Tan, 49; Daoyou Feng, 44; Delaina Yaun, 33; and Paul Michels, 54.
The suspect, Robert Aaron Long, a 21-year-old white man, was taken into custody later that day after his parents helped authorities track his vehicle. Long told investigators that his actions were not racially motivated but were the result of a 'sex addiction' and a desire to eliminate temptation. This claim was met with widespread skepticism and outrage, particularly given that the majority of the victims were of Asian descent.
In July 2021, Long pleaded guilty to the four murders in Cherokee County and was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. In Fulton County, where Soon Chung Park was killed, the district attorney is seeking the death penalty and has filed for a sentencing enhancement under Georgia's hate crimes law, based on the actual or perceived race, national origin, sex, and gender of the victims. Long was indicted by a Fulton County grand jury on charges including murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, and domestic terrorism.
