Questions are still swirling about how this shooting happened, mainly on what led Adams to do this. So that was the thought behind the snack shack" Associate Pastor Jon Oliphant explained. 2021 / 12:37 PM EDT. The wounded co-worker, Robert Shook had apparently called them about the shooting, prompting them to directly reach out to dispatch in York County. This page was last changed on 24 April 2023, at 21:56. He had to not be in his right mind, obviously, Casterline said, adding that Adams struggled away from the game. I can say hes a good kid he was a good kid, and I think the football messed him up, Alonzo Adams told WCNC-TV. A pair of 911 calls that were made during the Rock Hill, South Carolina mass shooting were shared by law enforcement officers during a press briefing on the tragic attack that left five dead and one injured. Both children attended the First ARP Church in Rock Hill along with their parents and grandparents. Phillip Adams shot 6 people on Wednesday, April 7, 2021 killing Dr. Robert Lesslie, . He had several documented injuries in his career. ROCK HILL, S.C.Authorities searched for clues Thursday in the nation's latest shooting spree after police say a former NFL player gunned down five people, including a beloved doctor and his two young grandchildren, before killing himself in a quiet neighborhood. Related stories from Charlotte Observer. ROCK HILL, S.C. As the community of Rock Hill, South Carolina continues to reel from the tragic April 7 shooting that claimed six lives, we're taking a look at the timeline of events that unfolded that day. All structured data from the main, Property, Lexeme, and EntitySchema namespaces is available under the. Robert Lesslie and his wife had four children and five grandchildren,his website biography said. By participating in the research process, we hope to bring awareness to this condition so that players young and old can understand the risks. During the briefing, York County Sheriff Kevin Tolson urged patience and saidrumors about what could have lead to the shooting are unfounded. Scott said Adams told him that he was having trouble obtainingmedical records from some of the six teams he played for during his six-year career. Weve got a long way to go in our community in a lot of different ways, Mayor John Gettys told USA TODAY Sports. He and his wife had four children and nine grandchildren, and were actively involved with their church, as well as with Camp Joy, which works with children with disabilities and where Lesslie served as camp physician for a week each summer. But detectives found nine guns at the home of Adams parents where Adams killed himself, according to records released by the York County Sheriffs Office. Ive never had a complaint, Chipley said. Rock Hill mass shooting. RELATED: Shooting suspect Phillip Adams played 6 NFL seasons. Adams father told a Charlotte television station he blamed football for his sons problems, which might have led him to commit Wednesdays violence. She said authorities spent hours negotiating with Adams, using a loudspeaker and sending in a robot to scan the house. "Dr. Lesslie was my doctor growing up," Faris said. Then on Wednesday, for reasons no one yet knows for sure, Phillip Adams, a former N.F.L. He was a good father," Casterline said. He just keeps saying, I've been shot, I've been shot. Operator in limo crash that killed 20 goes on trial in Schoharie, N.Y. On April 7, 2021, six people, including two children, were shot and killed at a house in Rock Hill, South Carolina, United States. Phillip Adams was the youngest of three siblings, and Alonzo Adams said he brought a shotgun when he took them fishing to a nearby pond to kill the water moccasins. ", More:Breaking down Phillip Adams' NFL career: 'I think the football messed him up,' says Adams' father. . A gunman killed six people including a prominent doctor and his grandchildren in South Carolina on Wednesday, prompting an hourslong search that led to a suspect in a nearby home, authorities said. The gunman, identified as a former NFL player, died of what authorities believe was a self-inflicted gunshot wound, York County Sheriff Kevin Tolson said during a press conference Thursday afternoon. At Thursdays news conference, Tolson played audio of two 911 calls, the first from an HVAC company that employed Lewis and Shook. And I am convinced we need to take the time to say the things we deeply feel to the people we deeply care about.". Jackson declined to address the Adams killings but said, The solution is we need to have responsible gun owners and gun carriers. By Stephanie Bunao. On April 7, 2021, six people, including two children, were shot at a house in Rock Hill, South Carolina, United States. "We are unsure of the time frame for results at this time.". Lewis was pronounced dead at the scene. Between 9:30-10:30 p.m., April 7:Phillip Adams' home is cleared by YCSO. ', RELATED: Family issues statement 1 year after shooting killed 6 people at Rock Hill home. Scott said he doesn't know if Adams ever applied for benefits but thinks Adams soughtline-of-duty benefits, awarded for orthopedic issues and worth about $54,000 a year. Barbara and Robert would want you to be good stewards of what you are given, leaving every place better than it was before you got there.". Casterline said he spoke regularly with Adams father, who left him a voicemail Wednesday morning. Andrew Dys, The Herald (Rock Hill, S.C.) 9/17/2021. She said Adams' 20-year football career undoubtedly contributed to CTE. 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. ROCK HILL, S.C. (AP) Former NFL player Phillip Adams fatally shot five people, including a prominent doctor, his wife and their two grandchildren before killing himself early Thursday. Will the killings test the character of Rock Hill? In many instances, it is a disease of the young.". 0:59. Second suspect arrested for murder in deadly Rock Hill shooting Posted: Mar 3, 2021 / 12:10 PM EST. Shook also told deputies there were more victims in the residence, and they found the four Lesslie family members dead in the workout room inside. If we dont dialogue and talk about it, well never be able to fix it.. But before the event, Kirk said, a representative for the Lesslie family told him he no longer would be needed at the event. The timeline begins with the initial 911 call and ends with deputies confirming the suspect, 32-year-old Phillip Adams, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. We found that playing additional years of football was associated with a higher risk of an individual getting CTE, to the tune of every additional year of football, regardless of level of play, and regardless of position play, in that study, we found was associated with a 30% increased risk of CTE," said Daneshvar. Phillip Adams, a former National Football League player, was named as the perpetrator. He spent many years working in emergency rooms in the Charlotte area, according to his website biography. ", RELATED: Deputies provide timeline of events for Rock Hill shooting. York . I knew he was hurting and missing football but he wouldnt take health tips offered to him. Shook told deputies Adams exited the woods wearing a black hoodie and camouflage pants, opening fire and then leaving the way he came. An autopsy and toxicology report on Adams is slated to take place soon. Adams' sister,Lauren Adams, told USA TODAY in an interview that her brother'sbehavior shifted abruptly a couple of years ago and he exhibited mental health issues. She said that of 24 former NFL players who died in their 20s and 30s, most of them had Stage 2 CTE. ROCK HILL, S.C. Rev. Adams would not have been eligible for testing as part of a broad settlement between the league and former players over such injuries, because he hadnt retired by 2014. He was a good father.". "The desire in them and their family was always to be a blessing. Many of the individuals who were diagnosed with CTE in life they had what we call emotional lability, which is basically like a short fuse or flying off the handle quickly," said Dr. Dan Daneshvar with Harvard Medical Schoo, "These were often significant personality changes from what the individual and their loved ones previously recorded.. "He didn't drink not one bit of alcohol," Smith said. 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 coroners office said. Dr. Sabrina Gast, the York County coroner, said Adams' family told officials he had complained of excruciating pain, memory issues and difficulty sleeping late in life. Tobie Nell Perkins. The gunman 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. cornerback, went to the Rock Hill, S.C., home of a prominent doctor and shot everybody he saw before . the VA, and all of the folks that have helped its and many other families to get these much-needed answers.". Indeed, more than two weeks since the shootings, questions that have been asked over and over around the country are lingeringin Rock Hill. He looked out at the crowd gathered for the funeral of Phillip Adams, who played in the NFL for six seasons and was a beloved son, brother, father and now a killer, too. 0:59. She said Adams had a severe case of it. He played in the NFL six years, most recently with the Atlanta Falcons, until the 2015 season. Robert Chipley, the promoter of The Great American Rock Hill Gun Show, said he is not surprised the event will be held, even less than two months after a killing spree the sixth in America this year, as trackedby The Washington Post. Phillip Adams, a former National Football League player, was named as the suspect. She said his "mental health degraded fast and terribly bad" and described how normal conversations would quickly turn hostile. "Theres really not an hour that goes by.". "Gun violence in this country is an epidemic, and it's an international embarrassment," Mr. Biden said. Tolson said officers found the two repairmen in the yard of the home. Adams was from Rock Hill. (Video: Reuters) Comment. / CBS/AP. He said he continued to use guns when he joined the Army in 1974 and was part of an artillery unit during his four years of duty, spent primarily on border patrol in Germany. A safety and special teams player from South Carolina State, he joined the 49ers in 2010 as a seventh-round draft pick. The shooting happened just beforePresident Joe Bidenunveiledhis first major steps to address gun violence, directing his administration to tighten restrictions on so-called ghost guns, untraceable weapons that can be constructed from parts purchased online. Join us from North Carolina, South Carolina, or on the go anywhere. A supplementary report says the investigation led them to determine Adams was the suspect, and they moved to his home down the road. The family issued the following statement: "As we process these results, we are deeply saddened by the events that occurred on April 7 and we continue to pray for the families of the victims. Allison Hope, who lives across from Adams parents home, about a mile from the Lesslies, said police allowed her to return home around 9 p.m. Wednesday. Phillip Adams shot 6 people on Wednesday, April 7, 2021 killing Dr. Robert Lesslie, his wife, two grand children and a Gaston HVAC worker. Tolson said both a .45-caliber and 9mm weapon were used in Wednesdays shooting. Dr. McKee is the director of the center and said CTE is caused by repetitive blows to the head. While we know there are no answers that will satisfy the question why, we are sure of one thing:We do not grieve as those without hope. Some teams wrote him off and he had that stigma of a guy who was hurt, Casterline said. The elder Lewis said his life changed drastically since that day; his health has deteriorated and he suffers from insomnia. The York County Sheriff's Department began a Thursday press conference with the calls, which were made around 4:44pm local time as gunman Philip Adams reportedly attacked Dr Robert Lesslie . Example video title will go here for this video. C.T. ROCK HILL, S.C. As the community of Rock Hill, South Carolina continues to reel from the tragic April 7 shooting that claimed six lives, we're taking a . "To that end, our hearts are bent towardforgiveness and peace. The victims were identified as Dr. Robert Lesslie, 70; his wife, Barbara Lesslie, 69; their grandchildren, 9-year-old Adah Lesslie and 5-year-old Noah Lesslie; and James Lewis, 39, who was working at the home at the time he was shot, authorities said. Adams, 32, played in 78 NFL games over six seasons for six teams. I tried to get him to come to Texas. Paul Scott, who worked for the NFL benefit plan for 13 years and now helps former players apply for benefits, said hes seen the frustration. "It doesn't happen here," said Trent Faris, a York County Sheriff's Office spokesman. According to doctors, CTE has been found in professional athletes and symptoms include cognitive, behavioral and mood changes. Adams mother said she wants the public to know about that, along with the danger of concussions. Its like a revival and we need to revive our city, said Nikita Jackson, a Rock Hill councilwoman whonoted the event was in the works before the Adamskillings. But thats a slippery slope. 'HE WAS BATTLING SOMETHING:'Phillip Adams' family says ex-NFL player was struggling after playing career, ANOTHER FORMER PLAYER, ANOTHER SHOOTING:Justin Bannan says head trauma from football is to blame. Please call 911the man told a 911 operator. They don't have the staff to do it, he said. The gunman often isolated himself, even as a player, his agent, Scott Casterline, told the AP. Scott said there are hundreds of players in similar situations, struggling without benefits. From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, Rock Hill, the location of the shooting, pictured in 2018, Not including the shooter, who killed himself a day later at a different location, "AP source: NFL player Phillip Adams killed 5, then himself", "Former 49ers player Phillip Adams kills 5, then himself, sheriff says", "South Carolina mass shooting: Former NFL pro killed 5, then himself, sources say", "NFL pro Phillip Adams kills five, then himself", "Rock Hill doctor, wife, grandchildren, worker killed in York County mass shooting", "Father of York County mass shooting suspect says son killed 5 others, then himself", "Ex-NFL player reported as gunman who killed renowned doctor and grandchildren", https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2021_Rock_Hill_shooting&oldid=8791075, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. Last December, Adam's family shared how hard it was to get the help they knew he needed. "We did try to negotiate and get him out of the room that he was in.". Tolson said Lesslie was a model citizen in the community, someone everyone knew. Phillip Adams, 32, who playedcornerback for teams including the San Francisco 49ers andNew England Patriots, was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his family's home, down the street from the massacre inRock Hill a city of about 75,000 that sits near the northern border of South Carolina, the York County Sheriff's Office said. Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. April 11, 2021 at 10:27 a.m. EDT. Thursday marks a year since police say former NFL player Phillip Adams killed six people at a home on Marshall Road in Rock Hill before taking his own life. When Adams was buried at Grandview Memorial Park-Hollis Lakes April 16, the customary, temporary name marker was not left by his grave site. Editor's note: The above section on additional details came during the April 16 update. They evacuated the neighbors as they spent hours searching for a suspect with police dogs. He had to not be in his right mind, obviously," Casterline said. CTE, or Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, is a brain degeneration most likely caused by head trauma, according to the Mayo Clinic. After the shooting, a GoFundMe was started for the families of Robert Shook and James Lewis. South Carolina Rep. Ralph Norman said Robert and Barbara Lesslie were his close friends. I was going to find him a job, but he wouldn't leave South Carolina because he had a son. RELATED: Ex-NFL player who killed 6 in Rock Hill had 'severe' CTE, doctor says. Among the victims were Rock Hill doctor Robert Lesslie, Barbara Lesslie, Adah Lesslie, Noah Lesslie, Robert Shook and Tom Lewis. a beloved doctor and his two young grandchildren, The shooting happened just beforePresident Joe Biden, Doctor Robert Lesslie and family among those killed by Phillip Adams in South Carolina shooting: What we know, Ex-NFL player Phillip Adams' 'mental health degraded fast and terribly bad,' says sister, Breaking down Phillip Adams' NFL career: 'I think the football messed him up,' says Adams' father, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Lesslie practiced in the area since 1981. 0. He founded two urgent care centers in the area and wrote a weekly medical column for The Charlotte Observer. ", Joel and Steven Long, co-owners of GSM Services, said in a statement, "Our team at GSM Services is heart broken. Updated: Mar 3, 2021 / 12:10 PM EST. "I think he got upset about that and thats kind of where it started, with him kind of feeling like the whole world was against him.". "We are working hard to provide some answers.". (Independent) Alonzo Adams, the father of former NFL player Phillip Adams, said his son shot six people, killing five, before killing himself in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Because somebody may not like somebody and say, You know what, I dont think you should own a gun. "It was different in that it was unusually severe in both frontal lobes.". "I can say he's a good kid, he was a good kid, and I think the football messed him up," Alonzo Adamstold WCNC-TV. Earlier, The Associated Press reported the gunman had been treated by the doctor, citing a source who was briefed on the investigation. Police searching the Lesslies home, which is up a driveway from an arched stone gateand not visible from the road, found the doctor, his wife and their two grandchildren together in a room at the back of the house. I cant fathom it. The shooting happened just before 5 p.m. on Marshall Road. Ex-NFL player Phillip Adams kills 5, injures 1 in Rock Hill, SC before killing himself. 9 mm handgun [2] Deaths. Five people -- including two children -- were killed in a mass shooting at a Rock Hill home Wednesday afternoon. In the twelve months that have passed since that day, Rock Hill community honors those killed in mass shooting, Family issues statement 1 year after shooting killed 6 people at Rock Hill home, Phillip Adams went to the Lesslie home and killed six people, Deputies provide timeline of events for Rock Hill shooting, found he suffered from a severe case of a brain disease, Ex-NFL player who killed 6 in Rock Hill had 'severe' CTE, doctor says, Could a head injury in sports lead to CTE? Lesslie's2008 book, "Angels in the ER," told the stories of ER patients and staff, and for seven years, hewrote a weekly medical column for the Charlotte Observer. Jeff Lesslie, who lost his parents and his two children, said this in a statement shared with WCNC Charlotte: "It has been a year since our community came face to face with the unbelievable. All the deaths are being investigated as homicides, according to the York County Coroner's Office. What matters most, Brown told the crowd, is what happens next.. This page is not available in other languages. Im not trying to sensationalize anything, but there are a lot of guys out there, he said. Barbara and Robert Lesslie sang in the choir. A prominent local doctor, his wife and their two young grandchildren were among those killed Wednesday in a shooting at their home in Rock Hill, South Carolina. "It's one of those strange things that a lot of people are going to have a hard time understanding.". In the minutes, days, and months since, our family has remained fixed on the eternal hope we have in Christ. There's just no question that the study of Phillip Adams' brain and then talking to his relatives and friends about what he was like during life was enormously helpful to our research," McKee said. "I also want to send my sincere condolences to the family of James Lewis. He was taken to a hospital where he is in critical condition. As CS Lewis has said, 'come further up, come further in. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasnt authorized to speak publicly. The following statement that we shared after the event remains true to this day. Lewis leaves behind a daughter and two sons, according to a GoFundMe. ", The NFL said in a statement, "Our hearts go out to the families and friends of the victims of these devastating tragedies.". Adams brain will be tested for signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE),whichis believed to cause mood swings and changes in temperament. Adams father said he requested a copy of the file April 20 from the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) and was told it would take two weeks to produce. They just may need to say, You need to go talk to somebody, Wisher said. Adams' parents were evacuated from the home as police surrounded the house and attempted to have him surrender. Whether the gunman suffered long-lasting injuries from his concussions as a player wasn't immediately clear. A gunman opened fire at a Rock . Following the shootings, Gast obtained special permission to have Phillips' brain tissue sent in for CTE tests. Adams family said he was experiencing psychiatric distress they think was linked to head trauma resulting from football. This is something I cant grasp yet. As a rookie in 2010, Adams suffered a severe ankle injury that required surgery, and in 2012, he had two concussions in a three-game period. . McKee said Stage 2 CTE is associated with aggression, impulsivity, depression, paranoia, anxiety, poor executive function and memory loss. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. GSM Services identified the surviving victim as Robert Shook, a father of three and "long-time devoted technician." "He didn't talk much and he didn't bother nobody.". Eventually, they found him dead in a bedroom, Tolson said. His mental health degraded fast and terribly bad, Lauren Adams told USA TODAY Sports of Phillip Adams, a cornerback who played in the NFL between 2010 and 2015. He said they went to his parents' home, evacuated them and then tried to talk the gunman out of the house. In 2020, there were nine homicides in Rock Hill and six of them were shooting deaths, according to Michael Chavis, Public Information Officer for the Rock Hill Police Department. As a rookie, Adams suffered a severe ankle injury and never played for the 49ers again. Neighbors described the family as having a strong Christian background, and the First Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church inRock Hill confirmed the family attended services. "We did not hear any gunshots," Tolson said. The incident was the latest mass shooting to rock the nation in recent weeks, including 10people slain in Boulder, Colorado,eight in the Atlanta area and four in Orange, California.
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