The man accused of killing eight people, six of whom were Asian women, at several Atlanta-area spas was indicted Tuesday on murder charges, with Georgia prosecutors signaling that they will pursue hate crime charges and the death penalty.
Following the rampage in March, which shook the Asian American community and highlighted the violence faced by Asian women, some advocates and lawmakers questioned local law enforcement for initially suggesting that the rampage was not racially motivated.
"Our communities in Georgia and especially the victims’ families are still grieving. Our work ahead continues to center healing, care and reimagining justice for our communities,” said Stephanie Cho, Executive Director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta. "We join the growing calls nationwide for community-led solutions and accountability that address the root causes of racism, violence, and harm so that everyone, Asian, Pacific Islander, Black, Brown, no matter where we were born, can go to work, walk down the street and move through our lives without fearing for ourselves or our loved ones."
The shootings spurred the White House and the Justice Department to increase engagement with national AAPI groups. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris met with AAPI legislators and advocates in March.
Last month, the Senate passed bipartisan legislation intended to address the yearlong spike in anti-Asian violence. The House is expected to take up its version of the legislation this month.
This story has been updated to include a statement from Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta.
