Hollywood notables are among those sending support after eight people were killed in shootings at Atlanta-area massage parlors or spas.
According to authorities, four individuals were killed in Cherokee County, Ga. around 5 p.m. on Tuesday March 16, while four women died in a pair of Atlanta shootings that took place less than an hour later, NBC News reported. Officials said at least six of the eight victims appeared to be Asian women.
Cherokee County sheriff's Capt. Jay Baker said that a suspect named Robert Aaron Long, 21, was arrested, per NBC News. No suspected motive has been released.
Following the tragic events, a number of celebrities expressed condolences and outrage via social media. One such star was LeBron James, who tweeted, "My condolences goes out to the families of all the victims and the entire Asian community tonight on what transpired in Atlanta at the Aromatherapy Spa. Coward a** young man!! Just senseless and tragic!!"
Also weighing in was Florence Pugh, who posted to her Instagram Story, "The Asian hate crime tonight in Atlanta-Buckhead and Cherokee County is just so f--king appalling and so sad. He drove to a new destination. To target Asian women. [Every time] there's a mass shooting it's so heartbreaking and so destructive and yet America just shakes [its] head as if that's just part of being in America and carries on. It doesn't have to be. This was targeted. This is white supremacy. This was targeted Asian murder."
Keep reading further for heartfelt messages from other public figures.
John Legend: "Absolutely horrible. Sending love to all the loved ones of those whose lives were taken. Our nation needs to reckon with the increased threats being directed at our Asian-American brothers and sisters."
Olivia Munn: "The violent attacks and murders against Asians are still happening. Please help us. We need help to be safe in our country. #StopAsianHate. Please."
Padma Lakshmi: "This is deeply, deeply sad. Trump on Fox *tonight* referred to COVID using the racist slur 'China virus.' He previously called it the 'Kung Flu.' While he continues to spread hatred against Asian Americans, people like this shooter are listening."
Daniel Dae Kim: "The race of the person committing the crime matters less than the simple fact that if you act with hate in your heart, you are part of the problem. And to those with the power to help and yet sit idly by, your silence is complicity. #StopAsianHate."
Kendrick Sampson: "Praying for the loved ones of those who were killed in Atlanta. Praying for anyone who has been/is being targeted by white supremacist violence & specifically those are being targeted because they are Asian. We need to coalition build and stand in solidarity to end this."
Jeremy Lin: "This is sooo heartbreaking...praying for our world. To my Asian American family, please take time to grieve but know youre loved, seen and IMPORTANT. We have to keep standing up, speaking out, rallying together and fighting for change. We cannot lose hope!! #StopAsianHate #NOW."
Bernice King: "My heart goes out to the families and communities of the eight people murdered at metro-Atlanta spas. I am deeply saddened that we live in a nation and world permeated by hate and violence. I stand with Asian members of our World House, who are a part of our global human family."
Ethan Embry: "If we all approved the use of graphic images of our bodies for American gun reform purposes in the event we die from a gunshot wound, would the visual flood of horror help? Like what they did to educate the damage of smoking. Us Americans should be forced to see the damage."
Adam Richman: "I called Atlanta home for seven years. My heart goes out to the Asian community there tonight. END THIS SENSELESS VIOLENCE AGAINST THE ASIAN COMMUNITY NOW!"
Glennon Doyle: "My heart is in Atlanta tonight. God bless these families. The rise in anti- Asian violence is infuriating and terrifying for so many- including my family. Heartbroken for these women, this community, my children, this nation."
Julián Castro: "My thoughts are with the victims of today's shootings in Atlanta and with their families. This massacre appears to be driven by hate, particularly against Asian Americans. We must stand united against this violent bigotry."
Lulu Wang: "I know these women. The ones working themselves to the bone to send their kids to school, to send money back home. In too much pain to know what else to say so I'll just leave this here."
Roxane Gay: "This is horrible. And completely out of control. It has been since this anti-Asian violence began. I am so sorry for these lives lost and so many communities living in fear."
Andy Cohen: "#StopAsianHate"
Jada Pinkett Smith: "Hate is a virus."
Karrueche Tran: "#STOPASIANHATE"
Ashley Park: "3 deadly shootings targeting Asian Women in Atlanta yesterday. I couldn't sleep. Some of these 5am ramblings are very personal, but I decided to share because ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. I hope this helps someone feel not so alone in all this muck. Allies, thank you and please watch til end, this is societal programming that we can change."
Alyssa Milano: "I'm sad today. Please choose love. Love is louder."
Quest Love: "This should go without saying. Yet here we are in 2021. #StopAsianHate #AntiRacism"
Jamie Chung: "My heart goes out to the victims and their families. These murders and countless acts of violence and the destruction of businesses and white terrorism in our communities are the direct cause of politicians and leaders fanning the flames of anti Asian rhetoric and using us as a scapegoat for a global pandemic. Historically Asian immigrants have been the scapegoat for others misfortunes. This ends now. It starts by calling it what it is. MEDIA YOU NEED TO DO BETTER, CALL IT WHAT IT IS, DOMESTIC TERRORISM HATE CRIMES AGAINST ASIANS. #stopasianhate"
Amber Tamblyn: "Pay attention. #StopAsianHate #StopAAPIHate"
Barack Obama: "Even as we've battled the pandemic, we've continued to neglect the longer-lasting epidemic of gun violence in America. Although the shooter's motive is not yet clear, the identity of the victims underscores an alarming rise in anti-Asian violence that must end."
Cynthia Bailey: "'injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.'-MLK #stopasianhate"
Lana Condor: "Wake up... your Asian friends and family are deeply scared, horrified, sick to their stomachs and wildly angry. Please please please check in on us, please please please stand with us. Please. Your Asian friend needs you, even if they aren't publicly grieving on social media. x."