UPDATE: Court canceled for convicted spa shooter in Fulton County
Robert Aaron Long, who is accused in the Atlanta spa shootings, appears in a Fulton County court on Sept. 29, 2023. (FOX 5)
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - UPDATE: FOX 5 Atlanta has just learned that Robert Aaron Long will not be in court on May 20 as previously reported.
ORIGINAL STORY
Robert Aaron Long, the man convicted of killing four people at a Cherokee County spa, is due back in court this morning in Fulton County. Long is facing a death penalty trial for his 2021 shooting spree that ended in Atlanta.
Long was charged with eight counts of murder spanning Cherokee County and Atlanta. He pleaded guilty to the charges in Cherokee County and was sentenced to life in prison. However, he entered a not guilty plea for the charges in Fulton County.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is seeking the death penalty and a hate crime sentencing enhancement. Six of the eight victims were of Asian descent, leading many to believe that the shootings were racially motivated.
Long, who is a self-confessed sex addict, told investigators that he was drunk and planned to visit a massage parlor because of his addiction before shooting himself. He is now attempting to avoid the death penalty.
The Cherokee County District Attorney stated that they did not find evidence of racism behind the shootings in their jurisdiction. Two of the victims in Cherokee County were white, and one was Hispanic.
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However, Willis maintains that race and gender played a role in the deadly shootings in Atlanta, which is why her office is pursuing the death penalty. Three women were killed at the Gold Spa in Atlanta, and another woman was killed across the street at Aromatherapy Spa.
Multiple motions are expected to be heard in court on Monday.