Protests call for end to Asian hate

Investigators have said Long confessed to the slayings, but he said they were not racially motivated. He claimed to have a sex addiction, which caused him to lash out at what he saw as sources of temptation, according to authorities.

Police have said they are still working to establish a motive, including looking into whether the attacks can be classified as hate crimes.

Two officials who have direct knowledge of the investigation have not found evidence for federal hate crime charges. Prosecutors must prove the victims were targeted because of factors such as race or gender to meet the standard under federal law.

Local authorities are also investigating whether the attacks meet the standard for hate crimes under Georgia's law, passed last year.

A hate crime is not a standalone crime under the law, but it can be used to add time to a sentence once someone is convicted of another crime.

Exacerbating fear

The group Stop AAPI Hate, which was formed in March during the COVID-19 pandemic to prevent discrimination against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the US, said the shootings "will only exacerbate the fear and pain that the Asian American community continues to endure".

In a report issued on the day of the shootings, Stop AAPI Hate said it had received reports of 3,795 hate incidents against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders nationwide between March 19 and Feb 28. But the group said the number could be higher because not all incidents are reported.

Chinese people composed the largest ethnic group, 42.2 percent, that reported experiencing hate events, followed by Koreans, Vietnamese and Filipinos. The incidents included physical assault, name calling and verbal abuse, workplace discrimination or refusal of service, and online harassment.

Most of the incidents took place against women, in businesses and on public sidewalks or streets, the report said. But the events included civil rights violations such as workplace discrimination or refusal of service and online aggravation or intimidation.

Agencies contributed to this story.