Live Updates: 8 killed in Atlanta spa shootings
CBSN
The gunman who opened fire at two Atlanta-area spas, killing eight people, including six who were Asian, claimed the rampage wasn't racially motivated, authorities said Wednesday. Still, local police said it was too early to rule out a hate crime.
The shooting sparked fears in the Asian community across the country which has seen an increase in racist violence and hate crimes during the coronavirus pandemic. Asian Americans reported nearly 3,800 hate incidents over the last year, according to a new report. The 21-year-old suspect was taken into custody and charged with murder. Investigators said he acted alone.Ashley White received her earliest combat action badge from the United States Army soon after the first lieutenant arrived in Afghanistan. The silver military award, recognizing soldiers who've been personally engaged by an attacker during conflict, was considered an achievement in and of itself as well as an affirming rite of passage for the newly deployed. White had earned it for using her own body to shield a group of civilian women and children from gunfire that broke out in the midst of her third mission in Kandahar province. All of them survived. She never mentioned the badge to anyone in her battalion.