you got to see what happened in atlanta as an opportunity. i don't know what we're going to find out, about what this shooter understands of his own motives. i am, certainly, not giving him any excuses. but, is there any, other reason, other than the obvious here, for why he targeted asian-american women? even if it was a sex thing, why did it have to be them? why were they the object of his desire? or his affliction? and even if the analysis is strained -- >> i could tell you. >> it's not your turn, yet. even if the analysis is strained, we have to recognize their reality because it's on the rise. the attacks are on the rise. absolutely, no matter what the finding is in atlanta. "cnn tonight." the big show. its big star, on screen right now, d lemon. >> i've got so much that i want to say, and so much that i want the viewer to see. i am sorry that i was encroaching your time. i am sitting here raising my hand, and you know i never do that. i wait for you to finish. i can tell you why. because he not only saw these women as fetishes. but he saw them as obstacles to his, because they said he did it because he wanted to -- they were temptations. he saw them as ob -- obstacles to his christian purity. therefore, they were expendable by mass murder. that is the real-racist part. he saw them outside of himself, as a way of hindering him from being, what he thought that, he was supposed to be. >> inherently, less than. >> a way to go to heaven and not face the consequences. he didn't see them as human. and i -- talking to a psychologist. he had to preserve his christian purity, at all costs. it's incredibly sexist, my therapist says, because it's objectifying women. a double-marginalized group of women, even that they weren't doubly marginalized. he perceived them as sex workers even though they weren't, right? because he thought they were there to fulfill an obligation to him. he perceived them as sex workers, therefore, a double-marginalized group of women. he perceived them as sex workers and asian, even though they weren't sex workers, they were working in a spa. but that was his perception of them. that is the racist and sexist part. just because someone is not saying, oh, well, you know, i don't like asians. or i'm doing this because of calling, you know, racial epithet or saying the n word or anything like that. that is -- that's overt, obvious racism. >> right. >> these are things that we need to -- these are things that we need to -- to dig into, as both of us do, in therapy, to figure out what is actually going on. go on, sorry. >> also, you know, there's so much strain to fit it into the box. >> exactly. >> and to check all the things. when sometimes, it's kind of like importanporn, right? you know it when you see it. it doesn't matter to me, because the fetishizing of asian women is well known. >> right. >> and is, you know, was that his thing? whatever it was, it is what it feels like. now, not legally. if you want to charge a hate crime, fine. find your criteria. but we're talking about society and its morays and people are attacking our asian brothers and sisters and we know why they are doing it. it's a malignancy of the other. >> led me say this. i lived in atlanta many years. and worked there, part time, for nbc news, when they needed people to fill in for their bureau. so, probably, about ten years, off and on. there are plenty of places where you can go to get massages or strip clubs, or whatever, that don't involve asian women, in the atlanta area. plenty of opportunities. so, the fact that he picked those places says something about his psyche, and his motivations were. even if he is not saying it out loud, to investigators. now, if you will allow me to move on, because, chris, i interviewed an officer, tonight. that i just -- i just want to, like, interrupt and run it now. but i got to give people the news of the day. from the capitol insurrection. who was so emotional during the interview, he didn't even realize how emotional he was going to get. and he talked about his plight, as an american, as a patriot. but as a black man, who had to protect the capitol, and the people in it. and then, being called racial epithets. he said, there are people out there, we love this country, but it was surprising, to him, to see the hate coming out of the people, at that capitol, that day. it is an unbelievable interview. >> and he still kept other people safe, at his own risk. >> and all -- all of it -- this is the same thing. we have been dealing with these topics of race and bigotry and unconscious bias, a lot, lately. and we need to do something about it. i'm going to run. i love you. i am going to get to it. >> all the hate, all of it, directed at minorities, directed at others. you know what it makes me do? makes me love you more, d lemon. >> i love you, brother. i love you. more relationships like this, so that we treat people as humans. we see the humanity, in each other, and not as some other and demonizing other people. so thank you, chris, i love you, brother. so, this is "cnn tonight." i am don lemon. as i just said to chris, a lot of these issues that we have been dealing with, everyone, and you have to stay around and watch this interview. because it sums up everything that we are dealing with right now. and so, i am going to take you through the news of the day, which a lot of it's relatable. similar topics. okay? so, first, i want to take you to atlanta, and i want to tell you what we know tonight, about the crime that is spreading fear in the asian communities, across this country. and that's, the deadly shootings at three atlanta-area spas that killed eight people. six of them, asian-american women. here is the suspect. okay? he is a 21-year-old, white man. he's been charged with eight counts of murder, one of aggravated assault. authorities say that he took responsibility for the shootings, indicating that he had a sexual addiction. and may have gone to the spas, in the past. i want you to listen to -- this is the terrifying, 911 call from one of the crime scenes. here it is. >> do you have a description of him, ma'am? >> need to hide right now. >> is it a male or female? they have a gun, you said? >> some guy came in, and shoot the gun. so, everybody heard the gunshot. and um, some ladies got hurt, i think. you know, everybody's scared, so they hiding. >> and in a sign of just how seriously the white house is taking this, the president, joe biden, is asking two-top advisers. he is asking susan rice, he is asking cedric richmond to hold community-listening sessions and calling the rise in violence against asian-americans troublesome. >> but, whatever the motivation here, i know, that asian-americans are in -- very -- very concerned. because, as you know, i have been speaking about the brutality against asian-americans for the last couple months. and i think it is very, very troubling. >> hmm, so, kamala harris. the first black and south asian vice president condemning the violence. here she is. >> our country, the president, and i, and all of us, we grieve for the loss. our prayers are extended to the families. of -- of those who have been killed. and um, it speaks to a larger issue, which is the issue of -- of violence in our country. and -- and what we must do, to never tolerate it, and to always speak out against it. >> the former president of the united states, barack obama, tweeting out, tonight, although the shooter's motive is not clear, yet, the identity of the victims' underscores an alarming rise in anti-asian violence that must end. investigators say, it is too early to tell whether this was a hate crime. whether it was motivated by race. but six of the eight people killed were asian women. and we have to look at the full picture here. whether or not the suspect has a sex addiction, gender is a hate-crime category under georgia's new law. i talked about that, just moments ago, a little bit, with chris. so, if the women were targeted out of hatred for them, or scapegoating them for his own problems. it could, potentially, be a crime. the shootings don't have to be racially motivated the way you think about it to constitute a hate crime in georgia. and i just want to be very clear, right now. very clear. we don't know, yet, what the motive was, in this case. but i mean, really? but, we do know what happens when hate is allowed to fester in this society, as it has been over the last few years. we have seen it, in charlottesville. jews will not replace us. blood and soil. we've seen it, in the capitol insurrection. and we have seen it in the deaths of ahmaud arbery and breonna taylor, george floyd, that drew millions of americans into the streets to protest, last summer. and in the face of the violence in georgia, eight people shot to death, in cold blood. there's this. and it's from captain jay baker in the cherokee county sheriff's office. >> he understood the gravity of it. and he was, pretty much, fed up and kind of at the end of his rope. and yesterday was a really bad day for him, and this is what he did. >> he had a bad day? eight people are dead, and he had a bad day? that's something you say, if things didn't go so well at work. maybe, you were cranky with your partner or your kids. you got into a disagreement with a boss. i mean, that, you know, that's a bad day. a flat tire. you're late. traffic ticket. it was a bad day for eight people who were shot to death. it was a bad day for their families. it was a bad day for asian-american people, all across this country, who are terrified that they'll be the targets of the next explosion of violence. it was a bad day for the people across this country, who are horrified by the hate and abuse of asian-americans. nearly-3,800 hate incidents were reported to stop api hate, between march of last year and february of this year. like i said, we know what happens when hate is allowed to fester, right? we know the danger to every one of us. homeland security secretary, alejandro mayorkas, testifying, just today, that lone-wolf domestic terror is the greatest threat to this country. >> are you currently more worried about domestic-violence extremist, lone wolves than you are about foreign-terrorist lone wolves? >> right now, at this point in time, domestic-violent extremism, the lone wolf, the loose affiliation of individuals following ideologies of hate and other ideologies of extremism. that are willing and able to take those ideologies, and execute on them, in unlawful, illegal, violent ways, is our greatest threat, in the homeland, right now. >> how long you going to continue to ignore it and try to make excuses for it? how long are you going to continue to say that people, who point that out, are being racist? or discriminating against the domestic terrorists? specifically, the right-wing, white-domestic terrorists. you heard the fbi director, and you heard him. it's hate that endangers all of us. the kind of hate that poisoned america's conversations. it poisons it. even after we learned about the shootings in georgia last night, the former president was still using, still doing it, using a racist slur over on the fox-propaganda network. >> we were the envy of the world. and then, when we got hit by the, as i call it, the china virus, covid, it was -- it, obviously, went down along with every other economy. >> let me apologize. i'm sorry for insulting your ears, with that dribble. that racist dribble. because, you know what? you voted to get rid of him. i am sorry for playing the sound bite, but, you know, sometimes i have to show you just how terrible the former, one-term, disgraced, insurrection-inspiring, twice-impeached president is. how terrible his behavior is. he's still blaming covid on china, even with hate against asian-americans spreading all across this country. still, up to his old, terrible, dirty tricks. we all -- we saw all kinds of hate allowed to fester, under the previous president. and it came to a head, on january 6th. that brings us to january 6th, right now. there it is. we all saw it, with our own eyes. but i have to tell you, some in the gop want you to ignore what you have seen, with your own eyes. case in point. congressman louie gohmert. one of just-12 republicans to vote against the bill to award the congressional gold medal to police officers responding to the insurrection at the capitol. and why? why would he vote against honoring these american heroes? why don't i let him tell you? >> i'm all for the medals. but the speaker's legislation contained language that was neither fair, nor accurate. we now know there was no-armed insurrection. nobody had arms. so, just trying to keep it honest so that we only put truthful things in the bill. >> no-armed insurrection? what do you call the flag -- flags and flagpoles that the officers were beaten with? what do you call the bear spray and the toxic spray? those are arms. and how do you know how many people were armed? because they were allowed to go home. they weren't arrested. most of them were not arrested that day. they weren't armed. i want you to tell that to the five people who were killed. tell that to the police officers, who were beaten within an inch of their lives. even using those bike racks, those barricades, as weapons. those are arms, too. gohmert. tell that to an american hero, like capitol police officer harry dunn. i'm getting to him, right now. have a seat, because i want you to hear what he says. harry dunn, who battled those rioters, and was called the n word dozens of times. listen to what he told me. this was just a short time ago. here it is. >> i want to make it clear, that this isn't about me. this isn't about me. this is about standing up for what's right. and i spoke to some people that i trust, some close friends of mine. and i said i don't want to miss the mark today. i want to make sure that my point gets across, and it doesn't get diluted with, i'm playing the left, i'm playing the right, i am playing the race card because that comes up a lot. oh, why you playing the race card? i didn't wake up that morning, and want to be called [ bleep ]. plain and simple. i didn't ask to be called that. so, i didn't bring race into it. i just wanted to do my job. so, i wanted to talk to my co-workers and some of my closest friends. and say, this is a moment and we need to grow from this, as a country. as a people. as a race. as a profession. it's so much -- so many teachable moments here. and i don't want those to get away. >> that is a small part of the interview. you're going to want to hear the entire interview with officer dunn, in just a short moment here. and believe me, you don't want to miss it, because there is a lot of emotion from officer dunn, as he talks about what happened that terrible day. that is next. plus, the latest on the deadly-spa shooting in atlanta. in the area -- atlanta area, that killed eight people. six of them, asian-american women. authorities say it is too early to call it a hate crime. but fear is spreading, all across this country. >> who could be more vulnerable than immigrant-asian women, which these women were. so, yes, i am connecting the dots here. and saying that this kind of anti-asian hate has to stop. [ "could have been me" by the struts playing ] ♪ don't wanna wake up on a monday morning ♪ ♪ the thought of work's getting my skin crawling ♪ hey, mercedes? -how can i help you? ♪ i can't fear you, i don't hear you now ♪ ♪ wrapped in your regret ♪ ♪ what a waste of blood and sweat ♪ ♪ oh oh oh ♪ ♪ could have been me ♪ the 2021 e-class. motortrend's 2021 car of the year. ♪ ♪ [drum beat and keyboard typing] ♪ ♪ ♪ [keyboard typing] ♪ [trumpet] [keyboard typing] whitney and jane are always sharing tips on ways to save money. cvs carepass... it's my savings secret. carepass members get 20% off cvs health brand products. free 1-2 day shipping... plus, a $10 promo reward. thanks for sharing! join carepass today and get yours. the harry's razor is not the same our razors have 5 german-engineered blades designed to stay sharp so you can enjoy lasting comfort and we never upcharge you for high quality harry's. available in store and at harrys.com tonight, the house voting, overwhelmingly, to award congressional gold medals to the officers who put their lives on the line, on january 6th, to defend the capitol. 413 members of congress, voting in favor. but, 12 republicans, including louie gohmert, voting against. instead, gohmert introduced competing legislation earlier today for the awards. why? because he's not happy the current legislation calls the capitol attack an insurrection. gohmert's version, also, obscures the nature of the deaths of officers, like brian sicknick, by only saying that the officers, quote, passed in january, 2021. it's part of a broader effort, by republicans, who want us all to whitewash our memories of the insurrection, and who continue to push the big lie of widespread fraud in the 2020 election. well, my next guest is a capitol police officer, who defended lawmakers from insurrectionists that day. he's a 13-year veteran. he was called a racial slur, more than a dozen times, by rioters, as he helped fend off that mob. capitol police officer, harry dunn joins me, now. he is speaking for himself, not on behalf of the department. and i am so grateful that you are here, and i thank you for your service. and i thank you for defending democracy and the rule of law. thank you so much. >> thank you. thank you for having me. i -- it's -- really appreciate you having me on. thank you. >> officer dunn, we all saw those symbols of hate on display, in that crowd, that day. but you were there. you were facing them. now -- now, as a police officer, not just as a police officer but, also, as a black man, as well. tell us about the hell that you went through, that day. >> where do i start? um, first of all, that isn't and wasn't normal. nobody should be subject to, have to go through, what me and my colleagues went through. we dealt with terrorists who were hellbent on changing the results of an election. and, sorry, i messed that. i -- i've got a little emotional right now. just that intro, kind of, whoo, man. took me back, though, for a minute. >> i want you to be honest. let's be honest about this. why is that, officer dunn? >> just today, i guess, it was a -- it was a bittersweet kind of moment. it's great that we were acknowledged for getting the gold medal. that's an amazing honor. and if i could say so, humbly, it's well-deserved for my co-workers and myself. but the -- the circumstances in which we got it. it didn't come without a great loss. we lost some colleagues. and just -- just thinking about it, it's fresh now. you have good days, and you have bad days. but just thinking about it, just ta takes you back to that, like you said, that hell day. and it's tough -- it was tough to live through. and it's, also, tough to relive talking about it. so, that, yeah. so -- >> well, you know, i have seen some interviews with you. i've never seen you this emotional. do you think, in the beginning, it was -- were you in a state of shock? and then, now, all of a sudden, you're coming to the realization of what happened? what is it? why emotional, this time? >> i think that's just part of the healing process. if you allow yourself to be honest about your feelings. stages of grief, also. there -- there's no timeline for how you heal. and talking about it, honestly, has been therapeutic, for me. and honestly, that's kind of why i'm still talking. there's more to say. i want to tell stories of the heroes, that day. my co-workers. we fought some fights. and honestly, after my first interview, a lot of them came to me and expressed their gratitude for me speaking out for us, and giving us a voice. and some more shared, with me, stories of their hells, that day. and just thinking about it, just -- it was rough. it is rough. >> so, here's -- >> i -- i guess, i carry that a little heavier today, i guess. >> well, listen. i appreciate you sharing that and -- and all of this. you -- i just want -- i want people to know. you know, i mentioned how you were called racial slurs. here you are, a police officer, who protected the capitol and the people who were inside of it. mostly, to protect the people who are inside of it. that's your job, as a capitol police officer. and to keep the peace. and, here, you have this group of people who start storming the capitol. and -- and trying to overtake the place, that is a sim ymbol our democracy. and then, calling you, a police officer, calling you the n word. what was that like? take us through that. tell us what happened. >> so, i said before, at that particular moment, when i was called -- and i'll refer to it as a racial slur. i said it earlier. but that word is a weapon, as been said before. and i don't want to give it power, especially in this moment, right now. so, i'm going to refer to it as a racial slur. but at that moment, i was unable to process what had happened because we were physically spent. once i had time to sit down, and put it all together, it was just so overwhelming. that here we are, giving so much. and putting our lives on the line to protect democracy, and keep it. and we're being called racial slurs, traitors, and any-just weapon that these people could use, because they were upset about something. so, it -- and -- and, you know, i guess, this is a little harder for me now because, at the tim i did my first interview, i didn't know the pain that the other -- a lot of other -- excuse me -- a lot of my other colleagues had suffered. they shared me -- with me -- and i'm just -- i'm recalling them now, in my head. and -- >> what did they say to you? >> it was bad. it was bad. i will share one story. one of my colleagues said that he was called a racial slur. he was carrying a -- a rifle, that long gun, that day. and a group of terrorists came to him, and said, you think you're a tough-n word with that gun. put that gun down and we will show you what type of n word you really are. and nobody deserves that. nobody deserves to be talked to like that. but especially, this guy. he did not deserve -- yeah. it -- it was rough. and i guess, it's the -- but we keep coming back and back, and we love our country, even though it doesn't love us back. so -- >> well, i think the country loves you. >> i got that quote from doc river. >> yeah, but i think the country, people around the country love you. it's just those group of insurrectionists, racist folks, who don't really know what patriotism, real patriotism really is. so, there are a lot of people out there who are rooting for you and who have your back. i've got to ask you, though, about some of our lawmakers. like, senator ron johnson, who says he would -- he wasn't afraid of the insurrectionists or the people who were there because he knew that they would -- they support law enforcement. and that, he wouldn't be hurt. but if it was a group of black lives matter or antifa, he would have felt completely, another way. he is saying, those people were patriots, they love their country, and they weren't racist. what do you say to him? >> i -- i can't comment, directly, to what any of the senators' comments. i will say that those people, the terrorists there on the 6th. they were there to cause harm. and they came prepared for a fight. and they hurt us, physically and emotionally. i can only speak, specifically, to the black lives matter movement at the capitol this summer that did come up. and i do know that they did not attempt to breach the capitol. and i do know that there were officers who listened with them. and some of them took a knee with them. and that -- i'm speaking, specifically, what happened at the capitol. i'm not talking about any other states, any other country, state capitols. but i'm talking about the united states capitol. when these two things happened. those are the facts, and that's what happened. that "black lives matter" did come to the capitol. they protested, behind the bike racks. and they did not attempt and they didn't hurt anybody. and nobody was arrested. so, i can just speak for those faktds. facts. >> i mentioned -- you said you can't comment on what senators have to say. but i mentioned in the beginning, republican congressman louie gohmert and other trump allies who want to rewrite the history of january 6th. my question is, i know that you don't want to -- you don't want to comment on their comments. but, how important is it, to you, that the events of that day are remembered, as they really were? >> it's always important to tell the truth, and be honest about what happened. regardless of what it is. that was an attempted insurrection and they attempted to interrupt democracy. that's what they attempted to do. and i don't know another way to describe it. officer sicknick was killed. the -- we had officers that took their life because of the -- their stress that they endured from that day. that is what happened. i don't know how you can word it any different than what, exactly, happened. so -- >> i want to ask you something that you have been very vocal about. and that you have talked about with me. you talked about the dark place, that you were in, following the insurrection. but you, also, worried about your fellow officers, especially officers of color. who are now dealing with depression, who have been dealing with depression in -- in law enforcement even before the insurrection. and then, now, afterwards, are dealing with depression, and possibly even suicide. why is this so important to you? what do you want to say about it? >> so, i -- i will start, first, saying that i don't think that dealing with depression and any type of stress or whatever, related to an incident, is a color thing. you got several white officers, asian-american officers, that went through -- hispanic officers -- that went through a hell, also. but the black officers' struggle was different, as in, like i said, we fought against, not just people that were -- that hated what we represented. but they hated our skin color, also. that's just a fact. and they used those words to prove that. they showed that they hated us, and they hated our skin color. so, why it's so difficult? because a lot of people don't know what that's like. officers of color, black people. we are -- we feel like, sometimes, we're alone. even though we're not. officers -- white officers have expressed that, hey, we're sorry. this shouldn't have happened. as well as, people all across the country i have had an outpouring of support. and i truly appreciate it. it's actually helping me being able to talk about it more. however, besides just i'm sorry that that happened, they don't know how it feels. and it's hard to even put in words because everybody's affected by things differently. but black officers can relate with each other. and we, kind of, lean on each other, a little more, as a support system because we know what it's like to face racism as a minority, i guess. so -- >> i want to make it clear that this isn't about me. this isn't about me. this is about standing up for what's right. and i spoke to some people that i trusted, some close friends of mine. and i said, i don't want to miss the mark today. i want to make sure that my point gets across, and it doesn't get diluted with i'm playing the left, i am playing the right, i'm playing the race card. because that comes up a lot. oh, why are you playing the race card? i didn't wake up, that morning, and want to be called [ bleep ]. i didn't ask to be called that. so, i didn't bring race into it. i just wanted to do my job. so i wanted to talk to my co-workers. and some of my closest friends. and say, this is a moment, and we need to grow from this, as a country, as a people, as a race, as a profession. it's so much -- so many teachable moments here, and i don't want those to get away. >> officer harry dunn, i commend you for your candor. and for being brave enough to come on television, and talk about these things, in such an open and honest way. and i thank you, again, for your service, and i'm sorry for what you went through. but we appreciate that there are people on the force, and people who are in the world, like you. thank you, so much. >> thank you for having me. i appreciate it. thank you, everybody. thank you. >> so, officer dunn did not sign up to be a spokesperson. or to come on international television, and tell his story. he signed up to be a police officer. and you can understand, his emotion. you can understand if he was a bit nervous. you can understand, if he wasn't quite sure of what he was supposed to say, or how he was supposed to say it. but he came on tv, and he said it. and i think we all should respect him for saying it, and respect his experience. because he is speaking from officer dunn's experience. and the experience of police officers, who were directly involved in the insurrection. so, hold your criticism about playing the race card, as he said. and all those things. that people, who don't want to deal with the issue of race in this country. that you bring up to try to scapegoat it. stop it. you heard the man. we need to take care of this problem in our country. a man, who served his country, in many, many ways. listen to him. listen to him. do the work. so, authorities in atlanta are saying that it's too sonon o say what the motive was in the deadly-spa shooting in the atlanta area. but the fear that asian-americans are feeling tonight is very real. our show is just beginning here, on cnn. we're going to be live, from atlanta, next. to support local restaurants, we've been to every city. including little rock and even worcester. and tonight... i'll be eating the chicken quesadilla from...tony's tex mex...in... katy. 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i want to bring in, now, cnn's amara walker. amaraings a a amara, thank you so much for joining us. these events are horrific but sadly this isn't the first type we are having this conversation. the attacks against asians, asian-americans, all across this nation. how is their community reacting tonight? explain to us what people are feeling right now. >> yeah, don, it's not the first time. and sadly, it probably won't be the last. look, first of all, as you were mentioning, don, investigators have been saying it's too early to say whether or not this was a racially-motivated crime. but for the asian-american community, they say it's just hard to ignore the fact that six out of the eight victims were asian women. and all three businesses employed a lot of asian workers. and so, this has been a traumatizing time for the asian community. this is the backdrop, where they are seeing increasing hate, across the country. >> it was very evil. it was so obvious. you know, he hated me. just because the way i looked. >> reporter: the hate is palpable. so, is the fear of being targeted, simply, for being asian. >> this was yesterday. we were at the restaurant in marietta and i was getting my plate. and this lady was sitting at her table. and she's eating her meal, and she just looked at me, very disgustingly. and i just stared at her. >> reporter: korean american and her fiance both declined to give their last names for concern out of safety. they are hypervigilant after the deadly-spa shootings in metro atlanta where it is legal to carry a handgun with a permit. >> we came to lunch today, and i have to, you know, sit down with my firearm on me because you never know. it's an asian establishment. >> reporter: incidents from verbal harassment to outright violence in california have many asian-americans feeling threatened for their lives. >> i didn't even see the person. i didn't lose anything. all my belongings is with me. they didn't rob me. so, i think it's a hate crime. >> reporter: a violent attack on the streets of san francisco, monday, left danny with two black eyes that he says left him partially blinded. chang doesn't feel safe, anymore, so he is raising money to move out of the state. today, the san francisco police department says that, after an alarming spike in anti-asian violence in the bay area, they are stepping up patrols in predominantly asian neighborhoods. the new york police department is doing the same, in response to tuesday's deadly-atlanta shootings. they hit too close to home for georgia state representative. >> i have four sisters. we had a conversation last night about what was happening, and whether or not we could, you know, determine if this was a hate crime. the conversation was, are we safe going outside? do we need to take extra precautions? >> reporter: investigators say, it is still too early to determine whether tuesday's shootings were a hate crime. and pointed to the suspect's claim of a potential-sex addiction. but, experts and activists argue it's no coincidence that most of tuesday's victims were women. >> well, he went to three different locations, all owned by asian business owners. all, employing asian workers. and when you think about how our country views asian women, there is a sexualization of asian women. both, prevalent, i think, in hollywood, in the media. so, it's not a new concept. and those things are intertwined and you can't tease them, apart, from each other. >> reporter: six out of the eight victims were asian. that fact, alone, pours salt in a trauma-filled wound that has festered since the covid-19 pandemic began. according to stop aapi hate and asian-american and pacific islander advocacy group, there have been nearly 3,800 anti-asian incidents reported since last march. with women reporting 68% of the incidents. been fighting this kind of discrimination with his nonprofit, atlanta center for civic innovation. he says it starts with acknowledging the history of racism against asians in america. >> so, what we are in the process of, i think, right now, in this country is rehumanizing individuals, who have been dehumanized from the beginning of getting here. so, i think, it's -- it's going to be a -- this -- this is a moment that, hopefully, leads to a movement. >> reporter: and he says that movement won't begin, until more asians start speaking out. >> but i think, asian need to speak about it. we don't need to keep it silent. and we just need -- don't be afraid to talk about it. >> reporter: and, don, i want to mention that lady there that i met today. i randomly approached her assuming that she would have a story about racism. she did. most of us, asians, do. in fact, case in point. i would say, about ten minutes ago, someone driving by just shouted, virus, in our direction. back to you. >> oh, boy. amara, thank you so much. i appreciate your reporting. you, stay safe and i will see you soon. thank you so much. so, as you can see, from amara's reporting and what everyone has been talking about, tonight. and today. the fear in the asian-american community is very real. andrew yang joins me to talk about that. we actually had a conversation, today. and we'll talk about that, as well, next. right after the break. heartburn happens when stomach acid refluxes into the esophagus. prilosec otc uses a unique delayed-release formula that helps it pass through the tough stomach acid. it then works to turn down acid production, blocking heartburn at the source. with just one pill a day, you get 24-hour heartburn protection. prilosec otc. one pill a day, 24 hours, zero heartburn. the harry's razor is not the same our razors have 5 german-engineered blades designed to stay sharp so you can enjoy lasting comfort and we never upcharge you for high quality harry's. available in store and at harrys.com fear spreading in asian-american communities all across the country in the wake of the deadly shootings in the atlanta area that killed eight people. six of them, asian-american women. i want to bring in the candidate for the 2020 nomination. he is now running for mayor of new york city and a friend of the show and a colleague and a friend as well to me personally. thank you, andrew. good to see you. how are you? >> thanks, don. it's great to be here with you. these are terrible times. and it's been a very difficult day. >> yeah. >> so i spoke to you earlier about these tragic killings and know that you are heart broken, thinking about these women and their families. tell us what's going through your mind? >> well, first, questioning a madman about his motivations strikes me and millions of other americans as a complete waste of time. the fact is if you target workers in an asian-owned business in an asian community, you know exactly who you're going to find inside those establishments. and it is asian women. and of the eight shooting victims, six were asian women. and as an asian-american, this feels exactly like what it is, which is that asian women were targeted in a devastating hate crime that is senseless and tragic and as you said, i think about them, their families, their children, the people who will never see them again. >> you're right. police aren't offering a motive. as you said, it's hard to ignore that six of the victims were asian women. he was going into asian establishments. how do you balance that right now looking at this case? >> the facts are plain. particularly given the context where new york city where i am now has seen a 900% in documented anti-asian violence incidents. and even that number, we know, is an under estimate because there are many people suffering in silence. they will not call the authorities. they will not shear their story. and that's common place. i talk to victims of this sort of violence in new york city and this phenomenon is real, it is growing more virulent, more prevalent. it is one reason why last night's killings feel more like a continuation of a trend that many of us are feeling? and seeing around us every day. >> listen, i just want the get quickly from you what you want to get people to hear, how can people be better allies for the asian community? >> the worst part about this sort of violence, don, is that it is so dehumanizing. like this man targeted people based upon their race and you know, the way they looked. the message has to be that asian-americans are human beings. asian-americans are just as american as anyone else. that this kind of hatred and violence has to stop. that we have to start seeing each other as human beings. you and i talked about this earlier today. and the simplest step, and i am going to take this from jumani williams, a friend here in new york. he said we can start by greeting and being friendly to people that we would not ordinarily greet. and you may surprise someone. but that to me is like an immediate step toward seeing each other as human beings and trying to open up our sense of who is in our community. to me, everyone should be in our community. we have so much more to share than differentiates us. and if enough americans start to feel that way, then hopefully these kind of incidents can start to diminish instead of rise. >> as you know, i always say, get a friend who doesn't look like you, all kinds of friends. it starts with relationships. andrew, thank you so much. i really appreciate it. it's good to see you, and we're going talk more. i'll see you soon. >> thanks, don. >> we're going to talk about the civil rights act. what's on the horizon, voting rights. senator amy klobuchar, next. chipotle sauce. 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