Hollywood’s Asian community is speaking out about the deadly Atlanta shootings at massage parlors, and sharing their reactions of shock and sorrow for the victims and their families.
On Tuesday evening, a White male gunman opened fire at three different massage parlors, killing eight people, most of them women of Asian descent.
The suspected shooter told police the attack was not racially motivated and that he potentially had a “sexual addiction,” according to the Associated Press reported Wednesday. Local authorities have not called the mass shooting a hate crime and are still investigating the motive.
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Star Trek actor George Takei tweeted: “These women were people, with loved ones. They were struggling and marginalized. And if an eyewitnesses account is correct, they were targeted because they were Asian. Hold them in your hearts. Think of their families. And #StopAAPIHate.”
Actor, activist and model Padma Lakshmi shared her thoughts, writing on Twitter: “What happened last night was a hate crime and we should all be treating it as such.”
Former NBA player Jeremy Lin tweeted: “This is sooo heartbreaking…praying for our world. To my Asian American family, please take time to grieve but know you’re loved, seen and IMPORTANT. We have to keep standing up, speaking out, rallying together and fighting for change. We cannot lose hope!! #StopAsianHate #NOW.”
Kim’s Convenience and upcoming Marvel Studios Shang-Chi lead Simu Liu tweeted: “Feeling overwhelming grief at the senseless murder of 8 people in Atlanta. Still much we don’t know, but it’s clear to me that the shooter specifically targeted Asian women. Praying for the victims’ families, and for my Asian sisters. Action to follow.”
According to the AP, this shooting is the sixth mass killing this year and the deadliest since the August 2019 Dayton killing that left nine people dead.
