Atlanta Shooting: Know the eight people killed at Georgia spas

In three separate incidents of gun violence, eight people, including six Asian women, were killed in and around the American city of Atlanta on Tuesday, with a white man in custody for allegedly staging all those attacks.

Although the suspect identified as Robert Aaron Long has denied any racist motive for attacks, the incidents largely have the Asian-American community on edge after a recent spike in anti-Asian crimes in the city.

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Since Tuesday’s incident, the nation has been mourning in unison with the families of the victims, however, much remained unknown for long about the eight lives lost, even their names.

Six of the victims were of Asian descent, and two were white. Seven were women.

According to ABC News, the four killed in the first shooting at Young’s Asian Massage in Cherokee County were identified by the sheriff’s office as Daoyou Feng, 44; Paul Andre Michels, 54, of Atlanta; Xiaojie Tan, 49, of Kennesaw, Georgia; and Delaina Ashley Yaun, 33, of Acworth, Georgia.

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The Cherokee County slayings were followed by shootings at two Atlanta spas.

The Atlanta victims were identified by the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s office as Hyun Jung Grant, 51; Suncha Kim, 69; Soon C. Park, 74; and Yong A. Yue, 63.

Hyun Jung Grant

Hyun Jung Grant, 51, was an employee at Gold Spa who loved karaoke, dancing and clubs, her son Randy Park told USA TODAY.

She was a single mother and worried about helping her two sons with their college tuition and paying the rent and bills.

While she spent most of her time working, Grant made the world’s best kimchi stew, Park added.

“She dedicated her whole life to raising us, but even then she found time to enjoy herself with her friends,” Park, 22, said.

Park said he learned only recently that his mom worked in a massage parlour – she initially said it was a makeup parlour in an effort to protect her two boys. 

Park said he understands why his mother wasn’t forthcoming about her work and now he feels selfish and guilty for invading her privacy by asking about it. He said they never talked about her work, which sometimes kept her away from home for weeks at a time.

“What’s so hard about letting people live how they want? If it does no harm to you, who is it harming then?” he asked.

Xiaojie Tan

Xiaojie Tan, the owner of Young’s Asian spa, where four people were killed, in Acworth, is survived by her daughter Jami Webb, the Washington Post reported. She went by her American name Emily and died two days ahead of her 50th birthday on Thursday, USA Today reported.

“She did everything for me and for the family. She provided everything. She worked every day, 12 hours a day, so that me and our family would have a better life,” Tan’s daughter Jami told USA TODAY. 

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“She was full of smiles and laughter. She was just a pleasure to be around,” said Michael Webb, Tan’s husband.

After her death, a longtime customer said she made her patrons feel at home and treated her friends like family.

Delaina Ashley Yaun

Delaina Ashley Yaun, 33, was looking forward to a date with her husband on Tuesday afternoon before the shooter took her life.

She and her husband arrived at the Young’s Asian Massage just before the shooting began. She was killed, however, her husband survived, locked in a nearby room as gunshots rang out, according to Dane Toole, Yaun’s half-sister, USA Today.

Yaun leaves behind a 13-year-old son and an 8-month-old daughter. She and her husband were married only less than a year.

“He’s taking it hard,” Toole said talking about Toole. “He was there. He heard the gunshots and everything. You can’t escape that when you’re in a room and gunshots are flying – what do you do?”

Paul Andre Michels

Paul Michels, 54, owned an alarm company in Atlanta, where he and his wife, Bonnie, have lived 26 years, his brother John said. Paul Michels had expressed interest in owning a spa.

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John Michels said his brother was “just in the wrong place at the wrong time.” They grew up with nine siblings in Detroit, riding dirt bikes and spending summer weekends at a lake and getting into mischief together, he said. They both served in the U.S. Army at the same time, and his brother was an infantryman in the late 1980s.

“I’m the closest in age, so we were basically like twins,” said John, 52. “We did everything together growing up.” 

Other victims

Not have been revealed about the others killed during the Atlanta shooting except their names.