Who was Yaun Gonzalez? Tragic story of mother-of-two, 33, shot dead at Atlanta spa during romantic getaway
Delaina Ashley Yaun Gonzalez and her husband Mario Gonzalez just wanted a night to themselves. The couple decided to head to the nearby Young's Asian Massage Parlor in Georgia, Atlanta, to enjoy a romantic evening. Instead, the night ended in tragedy. Delaina died along with three others after being brutally gunned down by Robert Aaron Long Delaina was one of the eight victims Long attacked on March 16, in an incident being seen by many as a hate crime against Asian-Americans.
Young's Parlor in Acworth, Cherokee County was the first location attacked by Long, before he proceeded to two downtown Atlanta parlors. He has since been apprehended by police, but the devastating attacks have left America on edge.
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Right now, there are conflicting reports of the sole survivor. Some outlets list the survivor of the shooting at Young's as Elcias R Hernandez-Ortiz, while another says it is Mario Gonzalez. Delaina leaves behind two children, including one an 8-month-old girl. Here's what we know about the couple.
Delaina and Mario Gonzalez
Delaina and Mario lived in Acworth, the town in Cherokee County where Young's parlor is located. According to Delaina's Facebook profile, she was also born in Acworth. In 2006, she graduated from Etowah High School in Woodstock. The 33-year-old worked as a cook at the Waffle House just over 5 miles from Young's parlor since 2013. On August 11, 2020, she married Mario Gonzalez. The couple has a 14-year-old boy and an 8-month-old girl.
Speaking to Daily Beast, Delaina's sister Dana Toole said she believed it was the couple's first visit to Young's. "She was supposed to be enjoying a fun time with her husband," Toole said. There's not much we know about Mario. His Facebook profile does not list any details beyond his marriage to Delaina. The Beast also lists Hernandez-Ortiz as the survivor. A report in MundoHispanico, meanwhile, says Mario survived the shooting.
MundoHispanico has reportedly interviewed Mario, who said, "It is not fair for a man like that to kill her and go free after a while.” He claims that authorities detained him and kept him in the patrol vehicle.
‘That man needs to pay … the death penalty at a minimum’
Reportedly, the police did not allow Mario to see his wife's body, even though he declared he was her husband. He was only allowed to do so after nearly four hours when the police managed to confirm his relationship.
“That man needs to pay … the death penalty at a minimum … How many people did he murder?” he told the Spanish-language publication. Dana has set up a GoFundMe page for Delaina's funeral, with a goal of $20,000. At the time of writing, the fundraiser has managed to collect $9,235. There is no mention of Mario on the page.
According to a report first published in WSBTV 2, Hernandez-Ortiz was shot in the parking lot. He is in stable condition and recovering. The other victims of the shooting at Young's are — Paul Andre Michels, Xiaojie Tan and Daoyou Feng. The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office has charged Long with four counts of murder and one count of aggravated assault for the incident.