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Who is Captain Jay Baker? Georgia spokesperson slammed for saying shooter Robert Aaron Long had a 'really bad day'

'You don’t have a bad day and go f**king shoot people,' a user wrote, slamming the Cherokee Sheriff's Office spokesperson

Captain Jay Baker, the spokesperson from Cherokee Sheriff's Office in Georgia, has become the center of criticism and backlash because of his bizarre remark about Atlanta spa shooter Robert Aaron Long. While addressing the press to explain the motive of the crime and details about the suspect, Baker said, "It was a really bad day for him and this is what he did."

Baker's remark has been perceived as racially insensitive as internet users united in protesting his 'sympathy' for 'white supremacist murderers'. "It was a bad day for HIM??? Are you f**king serious? 8 women are dead and these clowns are talking about how the shooter “had a bad day”. F**k every single second of this. Stop the sympathy with white supremacist murderers, ESPECIALLY coming from police," said Game Designer Jennifer Scheurle on Twitter, slamming Baker. 

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Who is Captain Jay Baker?

Jay Baker has been employed with the Cherokee Sheriff's Office for over 28 years. He hails from Canton, Georgia, where he also resides at present with his wife Paige Baker, sons Max and Grayson, and daughter Sophie.

Baker attended Cherokee High School in his childhood and later pursued a degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Georgia. He also holds a Masters degree in Public Administration from Columbus State University, as per his LinkedIn profile. 

Baker joined the Cherokee Sheriff's Office in January 1993 as a Lieutenant - Public Information Officer. Over the years, he rose through the ranks and currently holds the position of Director of Communications and Community Relations. 

When not tending to his official duties, Baker has the unusual hobby of catching snakes. He and his family spend a considerable amount of time outdoors, during which he enjoys spotting snakes, catching and admiring them before releasing them in the wild again. He is well-known in his community as 'The Snake Whisperer' and frequently shares his photos with snakes on Facebook and Instagram, reports Tribune Ledger News. 

Internet calls out Baker, says 'This is what white supremacy looks like' 

At present, it appears that Baker has found himself amid quite the controversy for his comment. Through sarcasm and anger, Twitter users vented their disapproval of Baker's viewpoint, saying how something as trivial as a 'bad day' does not trigger such horrific crimes. 

"The Cherokee County sheriff said the Atlanta spa shooter killed 8 people, 6 of them Asian women, because "it was a really bad day for him," and that's it's not about race. This is what white supremacy looks like. #StopAsianHate #StopAAPIHate," tweeted one. 

"imagine excusing a white supremacist mass murderer with the phrase “he was at the end of his rope, he was having a bad day” .... f**king despicable," wrote one disgruntled user, while another tweeted, "You don’t have a bad day and go f**king shoot people."

Another user shared a video clip of Baker's controversial comments with the caption, "this is what we are NOT going to do we are not going to describe a killer going on a MURDER SPREE OF ASIAN WOMEN as "HAVING A BAD DAY FOR HIM" #Atlanta."

A user highlighted the problematic parts of Baker's speech in a tweet, "yesterday was just a really bad day for him" “he apparently has an issue, what he considers a sex addiction … it’s a temptation for him that he wanted to eliminate” no b**ch he's just racist."

"This isn't a bad day. This is racism. This isn't a bad day. It is murdering innocent people. ALL PoC are unsafe when acts like this are treated as little "mistakes" Don't let the little stuff slide, start educating your communities on racism and don't be complacent," warned one Twitter user. 

Captain Jay Baker is yet to issue an apology or explanation for his problematic comments.