The man arrested in connection with the Atlanta-area shootings is charged with murder and assault

• The man arrested in connection with shootings in the Atlanta area has been charged with murder.
• Six of the eight victims killed were Asian women.
• The shootings came amid a spike in hate crimes against the Asian American community.

The man arrested in connection with the spa shootings in the Atlanta area was charged with murder and assault Wednesday, according to The Associated Press.

A majority of the people killed in the shooting spree at different massage parlors on Tuesday were Asian women. The attacks came amid a spike in racist attacks against the Asian American community during the pandemic. The violence has sparked outrage across the US.

Delaina Ashley Yaun, 33, Paul Andre Michels, 54, Xiaojie Yan, 49, and Daoyou Feng, 44, were among those killed at Young's Asian Massage Parlor in Cherokee County, according to a press release from the county sheriff's office that was distributed by the Atlanta Police Department.

Police also responded to Gold Beauty Spa, where three women were found dead. Another woman was killed at the Aromatherapy Spa across the street.

Authorities arrested Robert Aaron Long, 21, in connection with the shootings after a car chase Tuesday. Long told authorities he had a sex addiction, Insider reported after police apprehended him.