Atlanta shooting: Church removes suspect from membership

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Long, 21, was arrested Tuesday night in connection with the shooting that killed eight people in three spas in the Atlanta metro. Six of the victims were Asian women. Long told police that he believed he had a sex addiction and that he saw the spas as “a temptation … that he wanted to eliminate,” said Jay Baker, Cherokee County Sheriff’s captain.

It is not clear whether any of the three companies offered sexual services in addition to massages. But the authorities have provided no indication that the three companies were operating illegally.

Crabapple First Baptist Church in Milton, a suburban town north of Atlanta, said in a statement that Long and his family had been members of their congregation for many years. The Church saw Long grow up and accepted him as a member of the Church “when he made his own creed in Jesus Christ.”

“These unthinkable and blatant murders directly contradict his own creed in Jesus and the gospel,” the statement said.

The statement called the shootings an “extreme and evil act” that “contradicts everything we believe and teach as a church.”

The church condemned Long’s actions “in the strongest possible terms,” ​​saying it deeply regretted “the anguish and pain Asian-Americans experience as a result of Aaron’s unforgivable actions.”

“The victims cannot be blamed,” the statement read. “He alone is responsible for his evil deeds and desires.”

As a result of the shootings, the church published its full statement on its website, along with frequently asked questions about the shooting, Long’s relationship with the church, and the teachings of the church. The Church restricted public access on its website to the Church’s statement and teachings, and removed its social media accounts.

In its statement, the church said it had removed its website and social media accounts “out of an abundance of caution.”

“We feared for the safety of members of our congregation,” the Church website said.

A trip to the spa that ended in death. These are some of the victims of the Atlanta area shootings

Sunday’s service began with a member listing the names of the victims whose lives had been taken in an “unpardonable murder,” said fellow pastor Luke Folsom, according to a recording provided by the church.

“We mourn this tragic loss of life all week, and we will continue to mourn the victims and their families,” Folsom said. “So that’s what we’re going to do today.”

Long is being held with no chance of bail in Cherokee County, where he faces four malicious murders, one with attempted murder, one with aggravated assault, and five with the use of a firearm in committing a crime.

According to Atlanta police, he has been charged with four murders in connection with the two shootings at the Atlanta spas.

CNN’s Dakin Andone, Natasha Chen, Matt Gannon, Chuck Johnston, Kay Jones and Christina Maxouris contributed to this report.

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