'Please come': Police reveal 911 calls from Atlanta shooting as victims named
The calls were made within 10 minutes of each other
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Atlanta Police Department has released the audio from two 911 calls made during the massage spa shootings that left eight people dead and one man injured.
The first 911 call was made at 5:45pm from Gold Spa, which was the second establishment Robert Aaron Long, 21, attacked Tuesday evening.
During the phone call, a woman can be heard saying "need police" in a hushed tone, and said she believed a robbery was underway.
An operator asked her if she had a description of the individual, which is when she confirms she is hiding within the establishment while making the call.
"Hiding right now, that's why," she said. "They have a gun."
The operator then asks if she knew where the robber was.
"I don't know. I'm hiding right now," the woman said. "Please come, ok?"
The second call, which police received approximately 10 minutes later, includes a woman telling police that a friend at a massage spa had just told her about the shooting.
"I just got a call from one of my friends and they say some guy came in ... and the lady's passed out," the woman said. "Everybody's scared so they're hiding."
She then told dispatchers that "everybody heard the gunshots and some lady got hurt" before reiterating that people were scared and in hiding.
Police have since identified four of the individuals killed in the shooting.
NBC News reported that Xiaojie Tan, 49, was a licensed massage therapist and owned two massage parlors in the Atlanta area, including Young's Asian Massage, where the first shooting occurred.
Delaina Ashley Yaun, 33, was killed while she was on a date night with her husband, according to The Washington Post. Her husband managed to escape. She was a mother of two.
Dana Toole, Ms Yuan's half sister, spoke with The New York Times about the loss.
"It was just all about family," Ms Toole said. "Whatever we'd do, we'd do it together. It doesn't seem real. I expect to see her walking through the door any minute. It just hasn't quite sunk in yet."
Ms Yuan was a beloved server at a Waffle House, and was visiting the massage parlor for the first time the day of the attack.
Paul Andre Michels, 54, was the owner of an electric company. He leaves behind a wife of more than 20 years. Mr Michels family, speaking to The Daily Beast, said he was a "staunch Republican" as well as a "baptised Roman Catholic," a veteran, and a gun owner.
According to Mr Michels' brother, he was considering purchasing a massage business.
Daoyou Feng, 44, was also killed. Investigators are still gathering information on Ms Feng.
Elcias Hernandez, 30, was wounded during the shooting, but survived and is recovering in the hospital. He was apparently visiting a nearby currency exchange when the shooting began.
Law enforcement officers have not yet released the names of the four individuals shot between the second and third locations.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments