KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Community members gathered in Krutch Park in Downtown Knoxville to honor the memory of the eight people killed in three Atlanta spas last week.
The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) and API Middle Tennessee and National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum - Nashville Chapter hosted the memorial.
Four people were killed and one other was wounded at Young's Asians Massage Parlor. Atlanta Police said three people were killed at the Gold Spa. The fourth person was killed across the street at the Aromatherapy Spa. Police said six of the eight victims were Asian women.
Robert Aaron Long, 21, was arrested for the killings.
The killing spree has bolstered conversations about rising hate crimes against Asian Americans over the past year.
Stop AAPI Hate, an organization that tracks hate crimes against Asian Americans, said that there have been more than 3,700 incidents since March 2020.