Fox’s Brian Kilmeade ‘Astounded’ People Assume Atlanta Shooting Was Hate Crime

Fox News host Brian Kilmeade objected to those arguing that the Atlanta spa shootings, which killed six Asian women and two others, were clearly a hate crime.

On Thursday, Fox & Friends covered statements from Atlanta police on the initial interviews they conducted with shooting suspect Robert Aaron Long, and their finding he had visited the spas before and was motivated by a potential “sexual addiction.” Police said it was still early in the investigation but the suspect himself did not lead them to believe the motive was racial bias — a statement that drew outrage, given the shooter targeted Asian spas amid a reported surge in hate crimes against Asian Americans.

Kilmeade said the killings “might be” an anti-Asian hate crime, “but so far there’s no indication of that.”

“It doesn’t seem to have any link, according to the police, to any type of hate crime, even though they haven’t made formal changes yet,” Kilmeade said. “I’m just astounded that people are jumping to that scenario, from the White House on down, when the investigation is not revealing that. Do we have to create it?”

After breaking down public reaction to the shootings, Kilmeade added, “It just seems it’s an all-out race to make it a hate crime. Isn’t it bad enough?”

Watch above, via Fox News.