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FACT BRIEF

Did the Atlanta spa shootings happen hours after a Donald Trump interview on Fox News?

By Dana Ford
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NO

Although they took place on the same day, March 16, 2021, the Atlanta-area spa shootings that killed six women of Asian descent occurred before former President Trump's interview on Fox News, in which he referred to COVID-19 as "the China virus."

The first shooting, which took place in Cherokee County, north of Atlanta, was reported shortly before 5 p.m. ET on March 16, 2021. Officers in Atlanta responded to the second shooting, at 5:47 p.m. ET. While at that location, they were advised of shots fired across the street.

Trump's interview on Fox News took place the same day as the shootings but not, as a social media post claimed, before them. The former president spoke during a live segment that started at 7 p.m. ET on March 16, 2021. It was not clear whether Trump knew about the shootings at the time of the interview

See a full discussion of this at Lead Stories
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Atlanta Police News release on spa shootings, March 17
Atlanta Police Updated statement, March 18
Fox News Trump urges Americans to get COVID vaccine in Fox News exclusive
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Lead Stories
Lead Stories is a fact checking and debunking website at the intersection of big data and journalism that launched in 2015. It scouts for trending stories, images, videos and posts that contain false information in order to fact check them as quickly as possible. It actively monitors the fake-news ecosystem and doesn’t wait for reader tips or reports before getting started on a story.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.