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'I’m hurt. I'm numb': Family devastated after mother of 2 killed in spa shooting

By Brian Hill
Published  March 17, 2021 5:48pm EDT
Georgia
FOX 5 Atlanta

Family of Cherokee County woman devastated over her death in Acworth spa shooting

Family of a Cherokee County woman killed in Tuesday's mass shooting said she leaves behind two children, including an eight-month old baby.

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. - Holding a picture close to her chest is the closest Margaret Rushing will ever come to holding her oldest daughter again.

"I'm lost, I’m confused, I’m hurt. I'm numb," Rushing said.

Her daughter, 33-year-old Delaina Yaun was one of the four people killed at Youngs Asian Massage Tuesday afternoon in Cherokee County.

"I just wanna see her one more time and I don't know if I'm ever gonna get to do that," she said through tears.

Yaun

Delaina Yaun, 33, was one of the victims killed at Youngs Asian Massage Tuesday afternoon in Cherokee County (Family).

Loved ones told us Yaun and her husband were first time customers at the massage parlor when 21-year-old Robert Long allegedly opened fire inside the business. Long, suspected of killing eight and injuring one, confessed to three shootings, one in Cherokee County and two in Atlanta. 

The spa is located on Highway 92 near Bells Ferry Road.

"He took mothers, families away that didn't deserve. They're innocent. They did nothing wrong and i just don't understand why he took my daughter," Rushing explained.

Loved ones say Yaun's husband was not injured.

"He's taking it hard," Yaun's sister Dana Toole explained. "He was there. He heard the gunshots and everything. You can't escape thatwhen youre' in a room and gunshots are flying, what do you do?"

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Youngs Asian Massage

Who are the victims of the massage parlor shooting?

Here are the names of all five victims, investigators say, long shot at the parlor just before five Tuesday afternoon.

  • 33-year-old Delaina Ashley Yaun
  • 54-year-old Paul Andre Michels
  • 49-year-old Xiaojie Tan
  • 44-year-old Daoyou Feng
  • 30-year-old Elcias R. Hernandez-Oritiz was injured.

"They deserved better than what they got," Cindy Anderson, who lives nearby said.

She was one of several people to place flowers in front of the spa Wednesday in honor of the victims.

"I don't care what you motive is, you don't kill people. You go to counseling," Anderson explained.

Charges the gunman in the Atlanta-area spa shootings is facing

Cherokee County authorities have charged Long with four counts of murder and one count of aggravated assault in connection to the massage parlor shooting. He also faces charges in connection to two spa shootings on Piedmont Road in Atlanta, one at the Gold Spa and the other across the street at Armotherapy Spa

Even though they're glad long was captured, Yaun's family says it doesn't ease their pain and sorrow.

"We don't wanna believe that she's gone. Until then, we just wanna hold each other up," Toole said.

Her family has set up a fundraiser to help cover her funeral expenses.

The sole survivor of this shooting is still in the hospital right now.

WATCH: FOX 5 Atlanta live news coverage

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