Eight people killed in multiple shooting incidents in U.S. state of Georgia

WASHINGTON, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Eight people were killed and another one was injured in three shooting incidents Tuesday in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia.

In Cherokee County, a shooting was reported around 5:00 p.m. local time (2100 GMT) at Young's Asian Massage Parlor near Acworth, a northwest suburb of Atlanta. The death toll of the incident rose to four as one injured person has been treated in hospital.

The Cherokee Sheriff's Office said the shooting suspect, 21-year-old Robert Aaron Long, was captured in Crisp County after a chase. The motive behind the shooting is still under investigation.

Shortly after the Cherokee County shooting, Atlanta police responded to a robbery call on Piedmont Road in the northeast part of the city. Atlanta Police Chief Rodney Bryant later confirmed that four females, all believed to be Asian, were shot and killed at two massage parlors close to each other.

Bryant said an investigation is still in the early stage. "I've had conversations with Cherokee County," he said of the earlier shooting, adding it's still early to say the three shooting incidents were connected.

Bryant said the exact motive of the shootings is yet to be determined. "Right now there's no immediate threat to the public at large, but we are having conversations with different law enforcement agencies," he added.