Ken Jeong Donates To All Victims’ Families In Atlanta Spa Shootings
Actor and comedian Kendrick Jeong donated $50,000 to the families of victims who were killed in the shootings at three Atlanta-area spas last week, NBC News reports.
Five $10,000 donations were made by Ken Jeong to the GoFundMe campaigns for the families of Soon Chung Park, Hyun Jung Grant, Suncha Kim, Xiaojie Tan, and Yong Yue.
Authorities also identified Delaina Ashley Yaun, Paul Andre Michels, and Daoyou Feng as victims of the attack. As we previously reported, the shootings in Atlanta left eight people dead and one wounded — the majority being Asian women. A white 21-year-old man has been charged with eight counts of murder in their deaths, as well as an aggravated assault charge.
Jeong, whose parents are from South Korea, shared some of the fundraising campaigns on his Twitter. He also shared a video calling for an end to anti-Asian racism in the aftermath of the shooting, featuring other Asian American actors.
“Enough is enough. Stop the pandemic of hate,” Jeong says in the clip.
— Ken Jeong (@kenjeong) March 19, 2021
Jeong also posted on his Twitter a clip of him addressing the Atlanta shootings on the latest episode of Late Night With Seth Meyers:
— Ken Jeong (@kenjeong) March 23, 2021
Experts said that Asian women were more likely affected in these types of incidents because of the intersection of sexism and racism, including the stereotype that Asian women are meek and subservient, which might make them perceived as an easy target.
Authorities said the Atlanta shooter told investigators that he was motivated by “sexual addiction” and denied having racial motivations in the shootings. Police claimed that he said the spas were “a temptation for him that he wanted to eliminate.”
The killings came amid a recent wave of attacks targeting Asian Americans who have been blamed for the spread of the coronavirus across the United States.
Stop AAPI Hate, a group that tracks incidents of discrimination and xenophobia against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, said in a statement, “This latest attack will only exacerbate the fear and pain that the Asian American community continues to endure.”
The group has said Asian Americans have been blamed for the pandemic and connected the attacks to racist rhetoric from politicians.
