Atlanta Mayor: Hate Crime Charges May Be Appropriate in Massage Parlor Shootings

Shelby Swan adjusts flowers and signs outside Youngs Asian Massage where four people were shot and killed, in Acworth, Ga., on March 17, 2021. Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images

Hate crime charges may be brought in the string of massage parlor shootings in the Atlanta area, the city’s mayor said Wednesday.

“I think whatever the stiffest, most appropriate charges there are, this guy should face those charges. In Georgia, you can be charged with a hate crime. It covers a variety of areas. And I personally think it would be appropriate, but I will defer to the prosecutors to make that determination,” Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, a Democrat, said during an appearance on CNN.