ATLANTA (AP) — The murder case against a white man accused of shooting and killing six women of Asian descent and two other people at Atlanta-area massage businesses could become the first big test for Georgia’s new hate crimes law. The 21-year-old told police that the attacks Tuesday weren't racially motivated and claimed to have a sex addiction. Because most of the victims were women of Asian descent, there’s skepticism of that explanation and public clamoring for hate crime charges. Some lawmakers and legal experts say using the law is important for the victims and the community and to show how to prove violence motivated by bias.
Candice Choi/AP
FILE - In this March 19, 2021, file photo, flowers, candles and signs are displayed at a makeshift memorial in Atlanta. A deadly rampage at three Georgia massage businesses, where the employees were mostly of Asian descent, has prompted Asian American women to openly share stories of being sexually harassed or demeaned based on their race. (AP Photo/Candice Choi, File)
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