The New York City and Washington police departments said Wednesday they have deployed extra officers to Asian neighborhoods after a gunman killed eight people, including six women of Asian descent in Georgia.
Officers with the NYPD’s Critical Response Command, one of its counter-terrorism units, will be stationed in Chinatown, Flushing, Queens, and Sunset Park, Brooklyn, the department said.
“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 department said on Twitter.
The NYPD established an Asian Hate Crimes Task Force, which works to solve crimes against Asians in the city.
In Washington, the Metropolitan Police Department said it will increase its presence around Asian-owned businesses and residences.
“While we are not aware of any credible threats to members of our Asian community, we urge everyone to remain vigilant and report any suspicious behavior,” the department said in a statement.
Robert Aaron Long, 21, is suspected of killing eight people at three massage parlors in the Atlanta area. All told, six of his victims are of Asian descent and the other two were White.
The alleged motivation of Mr. Long remains a mystery, but authorities suspect he was trying to purge himself of his sex additions. They say he visited massage parlors, though it is not clear if he frequented the same parlors targeted during the attacks.
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