Jay Baker, sheriff’s spokesman in Atlanta-area spa shootings, criticized for anti-Chinese posts

Activists demonstrate outside Youngs Asian Massage on Wednesday in Acworth, Ga., one of three spas where deadly shootings took place. Jay Baker told reporters that Long was having “a really bad day.” He described a man suspected of a killing rampage as someone who was “fed up” and at the “end of his rope.” As to growing concerns about whether there was anti-Asian racism at play in the crimes, Baker said Long instead blamed his “sex addiction.” On social media, Asian Americans and civil rights activists were quick to criticize Baker’s description of the suspected mass killer. “Place your order while they last,” a post under his name from March 2020 says with a smiley-face emoji and images of shirts that said “Covid 19 IMPORTED VIRUS FROM CHY-NA.” The Facebook account, which also had several photos of Baker in his uniform, appeared to be deleted Wednesday evening. In the statement, Cherokee County Communications Director Erika Neldner said she will be handling media questions related to Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office’s investigation into the slayings. In an earlier statement Thursday, Cherokee County Sheriff Frank Reynolds said Baker’s comments “have become the subject of much debate and anger.” “Inasmuch as his words were taken or construed as insensitive or inappropriate, they were not intended to disrespect any of the victims, the gravity of this tragedy, or express empathy or sympathy for the suspect,” the sheriff said.