Ex NFL Player kills 5 in mass shooting, then himself

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Authorities in South Carolina have confirmed that former NFL player Phillip Adams was the person who killed five people, including a prominent doctor, his wife and their two grandchildren in South Carolina.

They said in a news conference Thursday that they had not yet determined a motive.

"There's nothing right now that makes sense to any of us, said York County Sheriff Kevin Tolson.

Tolson said evidence left at the scene of the shooting led them to Adams as a suspect. He said they went to Adams' parents' home, evacuated them and then tried to talk Adams out of the house. Eventually, they found him dead of a single gunshot wound to the head in a bedroom, he said.

Tolson said both a .45-caliber and 9mm weapon were used in Wednesday's shooting.

A person briefed on the investigation told The Associated Press earlier Thursday that Adams had been treated by Lesslie, who lived near his parents' home in Rock Hill. Adams killed himself after midnight with a .45-caliber weapon, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak publicly.

However, Tolson would not confirm that Adams had been the doctor's patient.

Adams, 33, played in 78 NFL games over five seasons for six teams.

As a rookie late in the 2010 season, Adams suffered a severe ankle injury that required surgery that included several screws being inserted into his leg. He never played for the 49ers again, getting released just before the 2011 season began. Later, with the Raiders, he had two concussions over three games in 2012.

Whether he suffered long-lasting concussion-related injuries wasn't immediately clear. Adams would not have been eligible for testing as part of a broad settlement between the league and its former players over such injuries, because he hadn't retired by 2014.

Adams' father told a Charlotte television station that he blamed football for problems his son had, and which might have led him to commit Wednesday's violence.

Not justifying the killing but I tend to find it a little disturbing seeing people watch footballers, basketballers and boxers get head injuries for their own entertainment.

The issue is serious enough for Will Smith to make a movie about the issue.

Many African Americans probably feel some resentment that these are the avenues they are limited to and it might have contributed to his mental breakdown leading to the mass shooting and his offing himself.

The potential motive behind the bloodshed carried out by Phillip Adams was revealed Thursday by South Carolina Rep. Ralph Norman in an interview with WBTV reporter Alex Giles. Norman was close friends with the doctor, Robert Lesslie, and his family.

“My understanding [is] he was treating him, and had, from my understanding, stopped giving him medicine, and that’s what triggered the killings,” Norman said, citing law enforcement.

Adams, whose six-year NFL career was marred by injuries, including concussions, was described by his agent as somewhat of a loner who refused to heed the medical advice offered to him.

“We encouraged him to explore all of his disability options and he wouldn’t do it,” agent Scott Casterline told the Associated Press.

“I knew he was hurting and missing football but he wouldn’t take health tips offered to him. “I felt he was lost without football, somewhat depressed,” Casterline said.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, he opened a smoothie shop, according to Cowboys cornerback Kevin Smith, who trained Adams.

Is ...Will Smith making movie about it? Or is that just your suggestion for what he should do?

Its awesome if he is (he did play Ali). And if it's just your suggestion to Hollywood...its an awesome idea for both theme and casting.

After how many years of nobodies committing mass shootings, someone known did it. Maybe this will make the problem more real for people.

Dr. Robert Lesslie, 70, and his wife, Barbara, 69, were pronounced dead in their home in Rock Hill along with grandchildren Adah Lesslie, 9, and Noah Lesslie, 5, the York County coroner’s office said.

VERIFY: No diagnosis of CTE nor confirmation of drug use in Rock Hill shooting suspect
With his background as an athlete and injury history, many online have speculated Phillip Adams had CTE or was motivated by drugs. Here is what is confirmed.
Author: Vanessa Ruffes (WCNC)
Published: 11:46 PM EDT April 8, 2021
Updated: 12:08 AM EDT April 9, 2021
...

THE CLAIMS

Following revelations of Adams's football background and injury history, many online have speculated that Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) or steroid or drug-use tied to past injury was somehow related to what happened.
THE VERDICT
Neither claims about CTE nor drug use can be verified at this time.

CTE CLAIMS
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CTE is a brain disease that can happen after repeated concussions and head trauma. The injuries can change how the brain works, causing changes in mood, behavior, memory, even movement.

While there is a record of two concussions during Adams's football career and Alonzo Adams, his father, told WCNC Charlotte he thought football had something to do with the horrific events, the CDC states that doctors have to diagnose CTE by checking a person's brain after they have died.

The York County coroner reports that an autopsy is still pending. So for now, it is not possible to verify the CTE claim.

DRUGS/STEROIDS CLAIMS
As for the drugs and steroids claims, the coroner also states that a toxicology report is still pending. When asked if Adams had been cut off from any medication (and if Adams and Lesslie had a patient-doctor relationship), Sheriff Tolson said, "Can't confirm it. No indication of it, but that's something we're certainly looking into."

For now, this claim is unverified too.

Yep....I sense that this concussion thing has caused many problems recently.

So if the Atlanta shootings were racist by virtue that the shooter was white and the victims were Asian. Then is this shooting racist since the shooter is black and the victims white?