Eight people, six of whom were of Asian descent, were killed in spa shootings on Tuesday.
Celebrities are speaking out amid racist incidents against Asian Americans. Rihanna, Pharrell Williams, Ariana Grande, Joe Jonas, Mindy Kaling, LeBron James and more have taken to social media in the wake of such incidents and have provided resources for people who want to help.
The celebrity attention is in response to a string of shootings involving three Atlanta-area spas, which took place on Tuesday, per CBS News. Eight people were killed in the attacks, with six of those people being of Asian descent.
During a Wednesday press conference, police announced that 21-year-old Robert Aaron Long had been arrested for and confessed to the rampage, though he claims it wasn't racially motivated.
The shootings came amid increasing rates of racial violence against Asian Americans, which have skyrocketed since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. Stop AAPI Hate, which was created in response to the increase in anti-Asian hate crimes amid the pandemic, released a report stating that it received 3,795 reports of incidents between March 2020 and February 2021.
Rihanna took to Twitter on Wednesday to denounce the attacks on Asian Americans. "What happened yesterday in Atlanta was brutal, tragic & is certainly not an isolated incident by any means. AAPI hate has been rampantly perpetuated & it’s disgusting! I’m heartbroken for the Asian community & my heart is with the loved ones of those we lost. The hate must stop," she wrote.
"Enough is enough," Pharrell wrote. "Last night was another instance of innocent lives lost to domestic terrorism. We must protect our Asian brothers and sisters... Stop Asian Hate now."
Grande also took to her Instagram Story to share resources and action items.
On his Instagram Story, Jonas re-shared Stop AAPI Hate's most recent report, as well as a post about how to be an ally to Asian Americans.
James tweeted his condolences to the victims of the Atlanta-area shootings, calling them "senseless and tragic," while Kaling wrote that "the targeting of our Asian brothers and sisters is sickening, but not surprising given the normalizing of anti-Asian hate speech in the past year."
"The attacks against our brothers and sisters in the Asian American communities are heartbreaking," Dwyane Wade wrote. "The physical assaults and recent killings are rooted in racism. It needs to stop. We cannot be silent."
"My thoughts and prayers are with the families who have lost their loved ones due to this senseless hatred," he continued. "To our Asian community - we love you and are standing united with you. Enough is enough."
Meanwhile, Daniel Dae Kim announced that, on March 18, he'll be "speaking to the Congressional House Committee on the Judiciary about the Rise of Discrimination & Violence Against Asian Americans."
Leah Remini shared a post referring fans to resources to donate in support of Asian communities, quoting Atlanta Mayor, Keshia Lance Bottoms speech about the shootings in Atlanta.
“A crime against any community is a crime against us all," Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance. My heart goes out to all the families. Hate crimes against Asian Americans have surged. For ways to help, Link in my bio. If anyone has any helpful websites for the families, please post," she wrote.
On her Instagram Story, TV host and actress, Holly Robinson Peete, re-shared a post from Taraji P. Henson, with the hashtag, #STOPASIANHATE.
Keep reading to see more celebrities' responses to the ongoing racism against Asian Americans.
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