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Atlanta spa shootings | How a Korean-American reporter covered a community close to his heart

HeeSeung Yang describes what it was like covering the spa shootings in Cherokee County and Atlanta over the past year

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — HeeSeung Yang called the deadly spa shootings last year shocking. Yang, a Korean reporter, said it was difficult to separate the professional from the personal. 

Over the last year, he's seen the fight for change firsthand. 

"It felt a little more personal," Yang said. "My fellow reporters, my friends and colleagues all talk about how they’re fearful of walking down the street.”

Yang joined the Atlanta Chosun Daily as a reporter just before the pandemic began. Just over a year later came a career-changing story. On March 16, 2021, a gunman killed eight people at three spas in Atlanta and Cherokee County. Six of the victims were Asian women. Yang said being a local, bilingual reporter gave him better access to connect with the victims' families and the AAPI community on a deeper level.

“It was helpful for people to actually express themselves correctly," Yang said. "Sometimes, you need to speak the word and in the translation process, not all the time – but sometimes, the meaning gets lost or distorted. Being local gives us an in-depth coverage or a little more edge, epically for people to open up to us.”

RELATED: Atlanta spa shootings | Timeline of events

Yang has followed the story for a year, covering memorials, tracking the court process for the accused killer and following legislative efforts to make change.

 Connie Jee, the executive director of the Asian American Resource Center (AARC), has also seen the heartbreak firsthand in the community. Jee and the AARC staff attended the funerals of the victims, helped their families raise money and supplies and spearheaded rallies to stop Asian hate. 

These are the names of the eight victims:

  • Delaina Ashley Yaun, 33
  • Paul Andre Michels, 54
  • Xiaojie Tan, 49
  • Daoyou Feng, 44
  • Soon Chung Park, 74
  • Hyun JungGrant, 51
  • Sun Cha Kim, 69
  • Yong Ae Yue, 63

"We are so angry, but we like to share their pain and sorrow," Jee said. "It doesn't matter what color you are: yellow, white, Black-- it doesn't matter. The most important thing is understanding and respecting each other and open communication."

RELATED: One year later | Families of victims in spa shootings reflect on how the past 365 days have changed them

Yang said covering the spa shootings strikes a personal chord. As a journalist, he said he is able to bring more awareness to his community, even through tragedy. He said the process of healing will continue to be gradual. 

"I feel the main community has yet to feel the impact to hit them directly,” Yang said. "It's a tragic event, but it became a huge stepping stone of what we're progressing toward right now."




 

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