Robert Aaron Long, 22, pleaded guilty Tuesday to four of the eight murders
The gunman accused of killing eight people across three metro Atlanta spas has claimed he bought a gun to kill himself because of his sex obsession before deciding to 'punish' the people he blamed for his 'addiction'.
Robert Aaron Long, 22, appeared in court in Cherokee County Tuesday morning where he said he had originally planned to commit suicide on the day of the mass shooting back on March 16.
He said he loathed himself over his obsession with porn and sex - which he believes should only be between a married couple - and bought a gun to end his life.
Long told the court he was sitting in his car outside the first spa, drinking bourbon and trying to build up the 'self-loathing' to kill himself.
While he sat there, he said he decided to 'punish' the people who he blamed for him not having the 'self-control' to stop seeking sexual gratification.
The 22-year-old recounted his version of events as he pleaded guilty to four of the murders, sparing him the death penalty and landing him with life without parole for those slayings.
Under the plea deal, he has admitted to all charges of malice murder, felony murder, attempt to commit murder and aggravated assault in Cherokee county.
These charges relate to the first four murders at Young's Asian Massage near Acworth, a city about 32 miles northwest of Atlanta.
Long still faces the death penalty over the other four murders across the Gold Massage Spa and the Aromatherapy Spa in Atlanta, which are being prosecuted in Fulton County.
He was indicted in Fulton County last month where he faces charges of domestic terrorism with a hate crime enhancement in addition to murder.
The white suspect is accused of going on a mass shooting rampage at two Asian massage parlors in Atlanta and one in Cherokee County back on March 16.
Eight people were killed in the attacks, six of them women of Asian descent.
They are: Hyun Jung Grant, 51; Delaina Ashley Yaun, 33; Paul Andre Michels, 54; Xiaojie Tan, 49; Daoyou Feng, 44; Soon C. Park, 44; Suncha Kim, 69, and 63-year-old Yong Yue.
Long cut a different figure from his mugshot as he appeared in court Tuesday clean-shaven, in glasses and in a white button-down shirt - with his miskempt beard gone.
He told the judge Tuesday he had struggled with his 'obsessions' with pornography and sex and was feeling suicidal when he carried out the attacks.
He told the court he had originally planned to commit suicide that day and was sitting in his car outside the spa drinking bourbon when he decided to instead 'punish' other people
Long told the judge Tuesday he had struggled with his 'obsessions' with pornography and sex
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'I never felt like I had a lot of control over these urges and it felt obsessive to the point it would occupy a lot of thought space,' he said in the hearing, streamed by "11Alive.
The 22-year-old said he had sought treatment but it did not seem to work and he decided he wanted to kill himself.
When asked why he felt so concerned about his pornography obsession, he said he believed it is 'making sport' out of something he believes should only be
