On March 16, 2021, Yong Ae Yue, a 63-year-old woman of Korean descent, was tragically killed in a shooting spree that targeted three Atlanta-area spas. That evening, a gunman opened fire at Aromatherapy Spa in Atlanta, where Yue was an employee. Her sons later shared that she had recently started working at the spa, where her duties included cooking, cleaning, and monitoring security cameras. She was a beloved mother and grandmother, remembered by her family for her love of cooking Korean food, singing karaoke, and her kind-hearted nature.
The shooter, identified as 21-year-old Robert Aaron Long, began his rampage earlier that day at Young's Asian Massage in Acworth, about 30 miles north of Atlanta, before driving to the city and targeting two more spas, Gold Spa and Aromatherapy Spa. In total, eight people were killed, six of whom were women of Asian descent. Long was arrested later that day in Crisp County, south of Atlanta, after his parents recognized him from surveillance images and contacted law enforcement.
During his interrogation, Long claimed to have a 'sex addiction' and told investigators he targeted the spas to eliminate what he saw as sources of temptation. This motive was met with widespread skepticism and outrage, particularly given that the majority of the victims were of Asian descent, and the killings occurred during a period of increased anti-Asian sentiment.
In Cherokee County, where the first shooting took place, Robert Aaron Long pleaded guilty to four counts of murder and was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, plus 35 years. Prosecutors in Cherokee County stated they did not find sufficient evidence to pursue hate crime charges.
In Fulton County, where Yong Ae Yue was killed, the legal proceedings have taken a different path. District Attorney Fani Willis is seeking the death penalty and has filed notice of her intent to pursue hate crime charges against Long, based on the race, national origin, sex, and gender of the victims. The Fulton County indictment includes charges of murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, and domestic terrorism. As of early 2026, the case in Fulton County is still in the pretrial phase.
