Deputy Criticized For Spa Shooter Comments Posted Racist Shirt On Facebook

Capt. Jay Baker shared a photo of a T-shirt he got on Facebook, saying that the coronavirus was imported from "CHY-NA."

Megan Varner / Getty Images Cherokee Sheriff's Capt. Jay Baker

The Georgia sheriff's official who said the man accused of killing six Asian women and two others in shootings at spas in the Atlanta area had "a bad day" previously shared a photo of racist T-shirts on social media.

In a Facebook post from April 2020, Cherokee County Sheriff's Capt. Jay Baker shared an image of T-shirts based off the Corona beer label that said "Covid 19 IMPORTED VIRUS FROM CHY-NA." "Love my shirt," Baker wrote. "Get yours while they last.'"

Baker did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but after BuzzFeed News asked about the shirt, the public Facebook post became unavailable. At their press conference about the shootings on Wednesday, police said it was too early to determine if the suspect was motivated by race, but added that the suspect told officials he had sex addiction issues and targeted the businesses because he wanted to “take out that temptation.” As director of communications and community relations at the sheriff's office, Baker was among the law enforcement speakers who gave an update on the investigation. Speaking to reporters about the suspect's explanation for the shootings, which he allegedly admitted to, Baker said it was "a really bad day" for the shooter. His comments and officials' decision to focus on the suspect's narrative amid a spate of increased hate incidents against Asian Americans have been widely criticized.

I was speechless after watching that press conference. Thanks @divafeminist for laying out what was so bone-chilling about what was named (his "bad day") and what was not named-the misogynistic dimensions of anti-Asian racism. To reckon, we have to denounce every bit of it. https://t.co/lJZcQHa7xN Twitter: @sandylocks

Dude made a conscious decision to go murder a bunch of people, mostly Asian Americans. That’s not a “bad day.” Locking my keys in my car is a bad day. This asshole is a Terrorist! Bottom line. https://t.co/hbIyYN1xji Twitter: @ShaneHelmsCom

every time I see the clip again of the law official saying the shooter "had a bad day" my blood pressure spikes again because I remember how Asian women are not really allowed to be angry at work and several women were deemed "too emotional" for the US presidency Twitter: @karenkho