MACON, Ga. — While the 21-year-old man who entered three separate Atlanta massage spas and killed eight people blames a sex addiction, six of the eight killed were of Asian heritage.
These killings come during a wave of nationwide attacks targeting Asian-Americans.
Wednesday, Vice President Kamala Harris spoke about the attacks in Atlanta.
"We're not yet clear about the motive, but I do want to say to our Asian American community that we stand with you, and understand how this has frightened and shocked and outraged all people," said Vice President Kamala Harris.
The owners of Wandee Asian Market in Macon say this comes on top of a year that's made them more careful.
Wandee is a brand new Asian market located off of Riverside Drive in Macon. The owners are new to town. They say they moved from Texas and Macon is a quieter lifestyle. However, with everything going on, they're still cautious.
The owners are originally from Thailand, but they planted their roots in Dallas, Texas.
Wandee Asian Market co-owner Chatnarin Apirukanotai said, "In here, it's quiet. In Texas, a lot of people, really busy."
Co-owner Nawarat Vibulrungsun said, "Everybody's nice here."
Even so, they find their new home friendly. They both say they take extra precautions to protect themselves because they are of Asian descent.
"Wear a face mask, you have to clean your hand every time to protect yourself, because we don't want to... like, some people are scared of you because you are Asian," said Apirukanotai.
Vibulrungsun said, "I have to be like watching out like every time we go out. I have to be careful not to cough, try not to cough, try not to scare them. Sometimes, I am itchy, and I'm like: Oh, my gosh, try not to cough."
Research shows Asian-Americans do have more to worry about this year.
A survey by Pew Research Center shows about four in 10 adults say they're more likely to hear racial hatred toward Asian Americans since the pandemic started.
According to Stop AAPI Hate, a coalition that tracks violence and harassment against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, nearly 3,800 instances of discrimination took place against Asians in the past year.
However, the actual number could be much higher.
So for now, the owners at Wandee Asian Market keep adding to a list of precautions.
They also said locking the door and being aware of coughing in public are just two of the things they do to stay safe.
A couple of Central Georgia college professors explained why this hate is continuing. They said words matter.
While it appears COVID-19 likely originated in China, calling it the "China Virus" focuses hate on people, and invites people to target anyone of Asian decent.
One positive note, the #stopasianhate is trending online right now.