LI officials, NYPD on alert in Asian communities after Georgia killings

Authorities in Nassau and Suffolk are on alert after eight people, six of whom were of Asian descent, were fatally shot in Atlanta-area spas late Tuesday.

The NYPD, meanwhile, said it is beefing up patrols in New York City’s Asian communities after the violence in Georgia.

"The Suffolk County Police Department has been monitoring increased hate crime activity against Asians in certain areas of our country during the pandemic," the SCPD said in a statement. "The department continues to monitor intelligence from our law enforcement partners regarding any potential threats in our region and we will respond accordingly to ensure the safety of our residents."

Suffolk Count Executive Steve Bellone called the killings "horrific."

"What is clear is that the influx of hate crimes against the Asian community is alarming and we must remain accountable and vigilant in condemning hate in any form," Bellone said. "Our thoughts are with the families, loved ones, and entire Atlanta community as they rally together in light of this unspeakable, senseless tragedy. Our fight for a more inclusive and just society carries on."

Nassau County Executive Laura Curran and Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said police will intensify patrols in parts of the county.

"Although there are no credible threats in Nassau County, all residents are reminded to call 911 if they see or hear anything suspicious," the statement said. "Our condolences and prayers go out to the victims and their families of these heinous attacks."

Curran, Ryder and other officials joined about 300 people in a Sunday rally to protest anti-Asian violence in Mineola. Ryder acknowledged Sunday that hate crimes against Asians are underreported.

The NYPD’s Counterterrorism Bureau said in a statement on Twitter that it is monitoring the situation in Atlanta.

"While there is no known nexus to #NYC, we will be deploying assets to our great Asian communities across the city out of an abundance of caution," the statement said.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said the NYPD has deployed more cops to Asian neighborhoods, and the NYPD is scrutinizing the attack for "anything that might tell us additional information we need to know here."

"There is today a major deployment of NYPD counterterrorism forces in communities around the city, including some of the most prominent Asian communities in Manhattan, in Queens, Brooklyn — wherever we get any reports of concern, we’re going to make sure to have real strong presence," de Blasio said.

Reports of violent assaults against Asians in New York City and on the West Coast have intensified fears among some Asian Americans on Long Island, who have become so concerned that they have warned senior citizens to avoid public transportation and limit trips outside their homes.

"Last night’s shootings [are] the worst, for the lack of a better word, massacre since Rock Springs against Asians, with the backdrop of anti-Asian sentiments," said Gordon Zhang, president of the Long Island Chinese American Association, referring to the 1885 killings of 28 Chinese miners in Rock Springs, Wyo.

"I think our elected officials should do everything in their power to provide protection for the Asian American community," Zhang said.

Suspect Robert Aaron Long, 21, of Woodstock, Georgia, was arrested about 150 miles south of Atlanta, officials said. Capt. Jay Baker of the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia said Wednesday morning that the suspect took responsibility for the shootings and denied they were racially motivated.

"He apparently has an issue, what he considers a sex addiction" and sees the spas as temptations that "he wanted to eliminate," Baker said.

But authorities said it’s still too early to determine whether the attacks were hate crimes. Six of the eight victims were Asian and two were white, police said. Four of the victims were of Korean descent, according to South Korea’s Foreign Ministry.

The fatal shootings come as U.S. officials said in an unclassified intelligence assessment that violent extremists pose an "elevated threat'" to the nation's security in 2021.

"We’ve seen our Asian American elders being attacked, we’ve seen Asian American women being targeted and we’ve seen Asian American children being bullied at school," said Eri Kim of Manhasset, vice president of communications at the Korean American Association of Greater New York. "For someone to inflict a mass shooting on the Asian American community, it really struck a lot of fear in my heart."

Charles Yoon, president the Korean American Association of Greater New York, called the shootings "a tragedy" in the context of rising anti-Asian crimes throughout the pandemic. "This certainly raises the alarm in the community," Yoon said. "It will further galvanize the community to figure out what needs to be done."

With Matthew Chayes