8 killed, 1 injured in shootings at 3 spas in metro Atlanta; suspect in custody

WOODSTOCK, Ga. — LATEST STORY HERE: FBI joins investigation into deadly spa rampage; 8 dead, 1 injured

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The man accused of killing eight people and injuring another person at three metro Atlanta spas Tuesday afternoon has been caught.

The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office said the suspect, Robert Aaron Long, 21, of Woodstock, was captured around 8:30 p.m. following a chase in Crisp County in south Georgia, about three hours away from the shooting scene.

Stay with WSBTV.com and watch Channel 2 Action News for updates on this developing story

The first shooting happened just before 5 p.m. Tuesday at Young’s Asian Massage parlor off Bells Ferry Road and Highway 92 in Cherokee County. Three women and one man were killed inside the spa. Another man was injured.

A family member of that victim told us her uncle was walking out of the store next door when he was hit by a bullet. He was rushed to the hospital.

The highway was shut down for hours and several lanes remained blocked well into the night as police investigated.

The suspect then drove into the city of Atlanta, where he is accused of opening fire at two spas across the street from each other on Piedmont Road.

Piedmont Road is shut down in both directions near Cheshire Bridge Road as police investigate the shootings. Officers with guns could be seen walking along the street outside the spas Tuesday afternoon. Crime scene tape surrounded both the Aromatherapy Spa and Gold Spa on the 1900 block of Piedmont Road.

Witnesses told Channel 2′s Tyisha Fernandes they hid behind cars as they heard gunshots go off in the area.

Three people were killed at Gold Spa and one was killed at Aromatherapy, according to investigators. In a news conference, Atlanta police confirmed all four victims were Asian women.

Investigators said they used surveillance video to tie the two shootings together. They have not identified the victims in any of the shootings.

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Officers said they are checking on other Asian spas in the area and increasing patrols. Other police departments in metro Atlanta told us they are doing the same in their cities.

The Crisp County Sheriff’s Office said it received information on the suspect’s car and spotted it on Ga. 401/I75 Tuesday evening. The Georgia State Patrol was able to perform a PIT maneuver on the car. Long was arrested without incident and taken to the Crisp County Detention Facility.

Tuesday evening, Gov. Brian Kemp and Attorney General Chris Carr tweeted about the shootings.

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4 dead following shootings at 2 spas in northeast Atlanta, officer tells Channel 2