The Atlanta spa shooter’s parents helped police apprehend their son after he embarked on a slew of murders that shocked the nation.
Not long after 21-year-old Robert Aaron Long‘s first half of his killing spree, which left four people murdered and a fifth injured at one spa, authorities were able to obtain surveillance footage of Long. They immediately released this image on social media. Once his parents saw the photos, they contacted law enforcement to report that the wanted man was their son.
“We were able to put that out on our social media. Shortly thereafter, we were contacted by members of [Long’s] family indicating that that may be their son,” said Cherokee County Sheriff Frank Reynolds during a Wednesday press briefing. “They’re very distraught. And they were very helpful in this apprehension.”
Long went on to kill four more people at two different spas in Fulton County before being captured. Police believe that he was headed to Florida to target more spas.
Six of the eight victims were Asian women, which led many to believe that the murders resulted from a hate crime. However, Long claims that his sex addiction motivated him to kill. The deranged man claims that the spas fueled his addiction and felt the need to get rid of them.
Capt. Jay Baker, also of the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, reiterated that the family was the key to stopping Long before he could kill anyone else.
“We are really appreciative of the family. Without them, this would not have happened as, well, as quickly as it happened. They were very supportive, and certainly, this was difficult for them.”
