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  • 2021-03-22 (xsd:date)
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  • Did Atlanta Shooting Suspect Purchase Gun Same Day as Massacre? (en)
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  • Our readers inquired about the date of a gun purchase made by Atlanta spa-shooting suspect Robert Aaron Long. Long was jailed on suspicion of killing eight people in a shooting spree at area massage parlors on March 16, 2021. Six of the eight were Asian women. We received a number of messages asking if it was true that Long purchased a gun on the same day as the slayings. Some readers linked to or attached an image of this viral tweet from @DeaconBlues0: As of March 21, the tweet received well over 200,000 likes and 50,000 retweets. On March 17, Atlanta-based WSB-TV reported that Long purchased a 9mm gun on the same day as the spa shootings, March 16: We contacted Big Woods Goods in Holly Springs, Georgia. An employee referred us to attorney Matthew W. Kilgo. We confirmed WSB-TV's reporting that Long did, indeed, buy a 9mm gun at the store on the same day as the shootings, prior to the killings. Local police also confirmed the same-day gun purchase, according to The Associated Press. The AP story reported that firearm buyers in Georgia and a vast majority of other states can walk out of a store with a new gun in a matter of minutes: The article also cited an analysis that found waiting periods for gun purchases could lead to decreased suicide and homicide rates. However, the research was inconclusive on the impact delayed-gun purchases may have on mass shootings, such as the Atlanta spa shootings. The second part of the viral tweet from @DeaconBlues0 made a claim about voting in Georgia. You cannot register and vote on the same day in Georgia, the tweet read. This is also true. For example, the voter-registration deadline for the November 2020 election in Georgia was Oct. 5. Also, the deadline for the Jan. 5, 2021, Georgia runoffs was Dec. 7, 2020. While Georgia does not offer same-day voter registration, it is available in several other states. In sum, it was true that Long purchased a 9mm gun on the same day he was suspected of shooting eight people at area massage parlors, prior to the killings. It was also true that it's possible to purchase a gun in less than a day in Georgia but not to register to vote on Election Day. (en)
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