On the night of the Atlanta shootings on March 16, Marcus Lyon was getting a massage at one of the gunman’s targeted Asian-owned businesses, Youngs Asian Massage.
Lyon, 31, recalled the moment of the tragedy which occurred just minutes into his session.
“When I first heard the gunshot go out, I got back up,” he said.
His massage therapist, who was revealed to be Xiaojie Tan, “got in front of me and was like ‘wait, wait, wait,’ telling me to hold on for a second,” he added.
The Atlanta native then crouched behind his massage table as Tan stepped closer to the door, 11Alive reported. He heard another gunshot and realized Tan was just killed only a few feet away from him.
He stayed on high alert until the bell by the front door signaled the shooter had left.
“I felt like she kind of saved my life,” he said. Lyon believes his mother, who passed away two years ago from cancer, was watching over him at the moment.
Tan leaves behind her daughter, Jami Webb, who said, “She did everything for me and for the family. She provided everything. She worked every day, 12 hours a day, so that me and our family would have a better life.”
Feature Image Screenshots via 11Alive
