People are still reeling from the tragic shootings in the Atlanta area, in which eight people were shot to death at three separate massage parlors. Six of them were Asian, prompting concerns that the suspect, 21-year-old Robert Aaron Long, was racially motivated. On Wednesday, a sheriff’s official, Captain Jay Baker, was called out for the curious way he described Long’s apparent motives, telling reported that he’d simply had a “very bad day.” Now things are even worse: As per BuzzFeed, eh appears to have previously shared anti-Asian T-shirts online.
In a Facebook post from last April, Baker shared images of some parody shirts, in which the Corona beer label was replaced with the words “Covid 19 IMPORTED FROM CHY-NA.” It’s pure Trump, from blaming the East Asian nation for the pandemic to his preferred way of pronouncing its name. “Love my shirt,” Baker wrote. “Get yours while they last.”
The post disappeared shortly after BuzzFeed reached out to Baker, who did not otherwise respond.
During the same press conference Wednesday, Georgia police said it was too early to determine a motive for Long’s alleged massacre, saying that he’d explained that he had sex addiction issues, and that he’d targeted the massage businesses to “take out that temptation.” Baker then put it more succinctly, saying, “Yesterday was a really bad day for him and this is what he did.” His phrasing earned the ire of people already deeply upset.
This shooting was targeted against asian women, he was fucking ARMED. they arrested him alive and well & they said that it was a “bad day for him”. This shit sickens me.
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— Rich Brian (@richbrian) March 17, 2021
If you ever need an example of white privilege in the United States reference this clip. This domestic terrorist killed 8 people and this cop was apologizing for him 🤬 #StopAsianHate
“He was at the end of his rope & fed up. Yesterday was a really bad day FOR HIM" pic.twitter.com/NEdYeKvPHP
— Right Wing Cope (@RightWingCope) March 17, 2021
I was speechless after watching that press conference. Thanks @divafeminist for laying out what was so bone-chilling about what was named (his "bad day") and what was not named-the misogynistic dimensions of anti-Asian racism. To reckon, we have to denounce every bit of it. https://t.co/lJZcQHa7xN
— Kimberlé Crenshaw (@sandylocks) March 17, 2021
Dude made a conscious decision to go murder a bunch of people, mostly Asian Americans. That’s not a “bad day.” Locking my keys in my car is a bad day. This asshole is a Terrorist! Bottom line. https://t.co/hbIyYN1xji
— Hurricane Helms (@ShaneHelmsCom) March 17, 2021
every time I see the clip again of the law official saying the shooter "had a bad day" my blood pressure spikes again because I remember how Asian women are not really allowed to be angry at work and several women were deemed "too emotional" for the US presidency
— Karen K. Ho (@karenkho) March 17, 2021
https://twitter.com/quintabrunson/status/1372312535324495872
According to The New York Times, there have been nearly 3,800 reports of hate incidents against Asian-Americans across the nation since last March. Meanwhile, former president Donald Trump has long bandied about terms like “China Virus” and “Kung Flu,” and specifically blamed the nation for the pandemic. He even did it right before news of the massacre broke.
Trump even used an anti-Chinese slur during his interview this evening on Fox, just before news trickled out of a mass shooting in the Atlanta area that apparently targeted Asians and left 8 people dead pic.twitter.com/UY56F9WWxY
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 17, 2021
(Via BuzzFeed)