(Reuters) -The 21-year-old man accused of opening fire at three Atlanta-area spas, killing eight people, faces charges of “malice murder” and aggravated assault, a county sheriff said on Monday.
Malice murder is an offence in the U.S. state of Georgia alleging implied or express malice.
Robert Aaron Long was taken into custody following a chase by police hours after the shooting rampage on Tuesday. Among those killed were six Asian American women.
“Working with jurisdictions across Georgia, Robert Aaron Long was quickly apprehended and now faces malice murder and aggravated assault charges in our jurisdiction,” the Cherokee (County) Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
The sheriff’s office said its deputies were still investigating the crime and gathering evidence.
“In an effort to preserve the case for prosecution, the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office will not be making any additional comments about this case at this time,” the sheriff’s office said.
(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Leslie Adler and Grant McCool)
