Sheriff's Captain: Spa Shooting Suspect Was Having 'Really Bad Day'
A Georgia sheriff’s commander was widely criticized Wednesday after he seemed to provide an excuse for the man arrested in the shooting deaths of eight people at three massage spas near Atlanta.
During a news conference the day after the killings, Capt. Jay Baker of the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office told reporters that suspected shooter Robert Aaron Long, 21, told investigators he has “sexual addiction” issues and targeted the spas to “take out that temptation.”
“Yesterday was a really bad day for him and this is what he did,” Baker said during the joint news conference with the Atlanta Police Department.
"Yesterday was a really bad day for him and this is what he did" -- a law enforcement official explains Robert Aaron Long's decision to kill 8 people in a strange manner pic.twitter.com/u0zFcqjbNK
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 17, 2021
Considering the death toll, which included six Asians, many people on Twitter called out Baker for his choice of words.
A really bad day are you fucking kidding me? Is this a picture book?? https://t.co/4ata9YxMD7
— Marie Lu (@Marie_Lu) March 17, 2021
This an absolutely remarkable way for law enforcement to describe someone who has seemingly just admitted to killing 8 separate people.
Just draw dropping, really. https://t.co/A5PZ82sX7M— nick wright (@getnickwright) March 17, 2021
You think his day was bad, wait until you hear the day those eight humans he killed had. https://t.co/bfXqhqJXFK
— Quinn Cummings (@quinncy) March 17, 2021
Infuriating. It was bad day for the 8 women you killed yesterday and will be bad days from now on for their loved ones and families. https://t.co/Y8QOXBPi0W
— Fra Fee (@frafee) March 17, 2021
when Black people have "bad days" they are killed by police and then exposed on national media for smoking a joint once in middle school https://t.co/FX5aMdAnjt
— manny (@mannyfidel) March 17, 2021
He was having a “bad day.” That’s why he killed 8 people. A bad day. https://t.co/df5MjTPzqD
— Mike Schlossberg (@MikeSchlossberg) March 17, 2021
If you're black, you can be executed by police for having a water pistol and they'll say you were "no angel." If you're white, you can murder a bunch of Asian women and they'll say you were having a "bad day" while admitting you've shown no remorse. https://t.co/JofzhGIBoZ
— Steve Silberman (@stevesilberman) March 17, 2021
You know how many people have "bad days" and don't shoot and kill Asian women? https://t.co/cJeZAmIsVO
— derecka (@dereckapurnell) March 17, 2021
I am so exhausted by the narrative that protects these people and portrays them as misguided. He is a racist who killed 8 people in cold blood. On our worst days, most of us just keep pushing along. Not go on a shooting spree. https://t.co/xZcZVNQqqz
— ellory smith (@ellorysmith) March 17, 2021
Some people pointed out that there are better ways to deal with a “really bad day” than multiple shootings.
When I have a bad day I eat a lot of cookies https://t.co/7xusGZwA5i
— rabia O'chaudry (@rabiasquared) March 17, 2021
I too had a bad day yesterday but rather than commit a series of misogynist hate murders I got high and ate two bowls of goldfish crackers for dinner like a regular person https://t.co/gC0PX0JypB
— andi zeisler (@andizeisler) March 17, 2021
When I have "a really bad day" I cry and cuddle with my cat. Pretty sure something else is at work here. https://t.co/ZnTDTTlf6c
— Fiddler (@cFidd) March 17, 2021
Baker did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
You can see the press conference below.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.