ROCK HILL, South Carolina (AP) — According to an individual briefed on the investigation, the gunman who killed five people, including a famous South Carolina doctor, was former NFL player Phillip Adams, who committed suicide early Thursday.
According to the person, Adams was handled by a doctor who lived near his parents’ home in Rock Hill. He spoke on the condition of anonymity because he wasn’t allowed to speak publicly. Adams, he said, shot himself in the head with an a.45-caliber pistol after midnight.
The York County Sheriff’s Office said they searched for hours after the mass shooting on Wednesday before discovering the alleged gunman in a nearby house.
The York County coroner’s office said Dr. Robert Lesslie, 70, and his wife, Barbara, 69, were pronounced dead at the scene, along with grandchildren Adah Lesslie, 9, and Noah Lesslie, 5.
A man who had been working at the house, James Lewis, 38, of Gaston, was found shot to death outside, and a sixth person, who has not been named, was taken to the hospital with “significant gunshot wounds,” according to York County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Trent Faris.
Adams, 33, appeared in 78 NFL games for six different teams over the course of five seasons. He was drafted in the seventh round out of South Carolina State in 2010 and went on to play for the New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, Oakland Raiders, and New York Jets before finishing his career with the Atlanta Falcons in 2015.
Adams sustained a major ankle injury as a rookie in late 2010, necessitating surgery that involved the insertion of multiple screws into his leg. He was cut shortly before the start of the 2011 season, and he never played for the 49ers again. In 2012, he had two concussions in three games with the Raiders.
It was unclear if he had long-term concussion-related injuries. Since Adams had not retired by 2014, he would not have been eligible for testing as part of a broader settlement between the league and former players over such injuries.
Adams‘ father told a Charlotte television station that he blamed football for his son’s issues, which he believes contributed to the violence on Wednesday.
Alonzo Adams told WCNC-TV, “I would tell you he’s a good kid — he was a good kid, and I think football fucked him up.” “He didn’t say anything and didn’t annoy anyone,” says the narrator.
Around 4:45 p.m. on Wednesday, deputies were dispatched to the Lesslies’ house, which is not visible from the road. They evacuated the surrounding area while looking for a suspect with police dogs for several hours.
Allison Hope, who lives across the street from Adams‘ parents’ modest one-story brick home and about a mile from the Lesslie’s, said she was allowed to return home at about 9 p.m. Wednesday by police. A car pulled into the Adams’ driveway a few moments later, and law enforcement quickly surrounded the house.
She said they negotiated with Phillip Adams for hours, using a loudspeaker and bringing in a robot to search the building. Before Adams shot himself, she said, police repeatedly begged Adams to come out and vowed to get his disabled mother out safely.
“This is something I’m still trying to understand. I’m not sure how to bring it all together, but I’m trying, “Hope explained. “I feel bad for him because, whether it was mental illness or anything else going on in his life, he needed support, and that’s the sad part.”
Even as an athlete, Adams‘ agent, Scott Casterline, told the Associated Press that Adams was prone to isolation. Casterline said he talked with Adams‘ father on a regular basis, and that he left him a voicemail on Wednesday morning.
“He was a member of my clan. I had a thing for him. He’s a fantastic young man. This is so uncharacteristic of him. Obviously, he couldn’t be thinking straight, “Casterline said.
“Everyone who met Phillip shakes their heads. He struggled to get out of the game. I attempted to persuade him to visit Texas. I planned to find him work, but he refused to leave South Carolina because he was the father of a son. He was an excellent father. “
“Seeing Phillip shoot two children, I know it isn’t him. I’m at a loss for words. Casterline described the situation as “devastating” for the victims and their families.
Former Cowboys cornerback Kevin Smith, who worked with Adams before and after the 2010 draught, described him as a hard worker. Adams and Casterline both said they did not drink or use drugs.
Smith said, “He didn’t drink a drop of alcohol.” “He was a bit of a clean freak,” says the narrator. All were in their proper position in his home. “
Before a scheduled news conference later Thursday, Faris, the sheriff’s spokesman, offered little information.
“We have identified the person we believe is responsible, and we are with him at this time,” Faris said, adding that they had no reason to believe someone else was involved.
Faris and Adams‘ father both claimed to have been patients of the assassinated doctor.
“Dr. Lesslie is one of those individuals that is well-known. Faris said, “He founded Riverview Medical Center in Rock Hill, and it’s been a staple in Rock Hill for years.”
According to his website, Lesslie had worked as an emergency room doctor for decades, was board-certified in both emergency medicine and occupational medicine, and had served as the emergency department medical director at Rock Hill General Hospital for nearly 15 years.
He opened two urgent care centres, contributed a weekly medical column to The Charlotte Observer, and published a book called “Angels in the ER,” which collected what he called “inspiring true stories” from his work. According to his biography, he and his wife raised four children.
Lesslie wrote in his novel, “I know without a doubt that life is fragile.” “I’ve come to realise that modesty can be the most valuable virtue. And I am persuaded that we must take the time to express our deepest feelings to everyone we care about. “
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