Eight people were killed and one person was injured in the attacks on three different spa and massage parlors in Atlanta.

Most of the victims were women of Asian descent.

The 21-year-old suspected perpetrator was arrested the night before Wednesday Swedish time.

According to the police, it was his parents who tipped them off after pictures from a surveillance camera were published in the media after the act.

During the interrogations, the 21-year-old suspect has said that the act was not racist.

The act should, according to himself, be linked to his sex addiction.

He is said to have cracked down on activities that he himself found attractive.

However, the police do not want to confirm whether this is the real motive or not.

Biden: "Very problematic"

At the same time, the deed has led to increased concern among the American-Asian minority in the United States.

President Joe Biden states that the background and motives for the murders "still need to be ascertained", but he sharpened the tone of what he sees as increased threats against those with an Asian background.

- I know that (they) are worried.

I've been talking about the brutality of those with an Asian background here in the United States in recent months.

It is very problematic, says Joe Biden according to the news agency Reuters.

Vice President Kamala Harris also emphasized his solidarity with Americans of Asian descent in a statement.

"It must stop"

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms states in a statement that the attacks are a tragedy regardless of motive, reports the New York Times.

- Regardless of motive, we know that the majority of the victims were Asian.

We also know that this is a problem that is relevant throughout the country.

It is unacceptable, it is hateful and it must be stopped, says Keisha Lance Bottoms.

Strengthened police presence

Following the incident, the police presence has been strengthened in places in New York and Seattle where there is a large Asian population.

Hate crimes against Americans of Asian descent have increased during the pandemic, which was recently brought to the attention of President Joe Biden.

In a speech, he described how they have been attacked, harassed, accused and become scapegoats for the spread of the coronavirus - which was first discovered in China.

The rights group Stop AAPI Hate, which maps discrimination and harassment of Americans of Asian descent, calls the shootings an unimaginable tragedy that "will only exacerbate the fear and pain" of an already vulnerable group in society.