Secretary of State Antony Blinken has condemned a string of shootings in Atlanta on Tuesday that police said appeared to target Asian women at massage parlors and left eight people dead. Speaking during a trip to South Korea, Blinken reportedly said: “I want to mention the attacks that happened just a few hours ago in Atlanta, in which several women were killed, including, we believe, four women of Korean descent. We are horrified by this violence which has no place in America or anywhere.” He added: “We will stand up for the right of our fellow Americans and Korean Americans to be safe and to be treated with dignity.” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the president has been briefed overnight about the “horrific shootings, and added: “White House officials have been in touch with the Mayor’s office and will remain in touch with the FBI.” Aaron Long, 21, of Woodstock, Georgia, was caught on video at the crime scenes and later arrested following a police chase, authorities said.
