USA TODAY International Edition
Ex- NFL player ID’ed in killings
5 shot dead, including 2 kids, in South Carolina
ROCK HILL, S. C. – Authorities searched for clues Thursday in the nation’s latest shooting spree after police said a former NFL player gunned down five people, including a doctor and his two young grandchildren, before killing himself.
Phillip Adams, 32, who played cornerback for teams including the San Francisco 49ers and New England Patriots, was found dead of a self- inflicted gunshot wound in his family’s home, down the street from the massacre in Rock Hill, a city of about 75,000, the York County Sheriff ’ s Office said.
“There’s nothing about this right now that makes sense to any of us,” Sheriff Kevin Tolson said Thursday at a news conference. “We are working hard to provide some answers.”
The shooting happened just before President Joe Biden unveiled steps to address gun violence.
The victims were identified as: Dr. Robert Lesslie, 70; his wife, Barbara, 69; and their grandchildren Adah,
9, and Noah, 5. James Lewis, 38, was found dead outside. Lewis was working at the home for a company that specializes in air conditioning, roof and heating repair.
The 911 calls started around 4: 45 p. m. Wednesday: A man identifying himself as a supervisor for the repair company said one of his employees called him screaming that he’d been shot. A second employee wasn’t moving, the man told 911 operators in a call played by authorities during a news conference.
“He just keeps saying, ‘ I’ve been shot, I’ve been shot. Call 911. Please call 911’ ” the man told a 911 operator. “One is unresponsive, another is talking slurred, and he can’t talk.”
A neighbor also called 911.
“I was cutting grass out in the yard, and I heard some shots, about 20,” the 80- year- old said in the 911 call. “I saw one person laying on the ground.”
Lewis was pronounced dead at the scene. Another employee, Robert Shook, was taken to a hospital where he is in critical condition. Both worked for GSM Services in York County.
Police searching the Lesslies’ home found the doctor, his wife and their two grandchildren together in a room at the back of the house. All were dead, Tolson said.
Tolson said Adams forced his way into the home, and police found evidence at the scene that tied him to the killings, though Tolson would not elaborate. He said authorities contacted Adams’ family and found he lived nearby.
Allison Hope, who lives across from Adams’ home, said law enforcement quickly surrounded the property.
She said authorities spent hours negotiating with Adams, using a loudspeaker and sending in a robot to scan the house. She said they repeatedly asked Adams to come out and promised to get his disabled mother away safely.
Adams’ parents were evacuated from the home. No shots were heard, Tolson said, but police found Adams dead inside of a self- inflicted gunshot wound. Two weapons were recovered: a 9mm handgun and a .45- caliber handgun.
Police worked Thursday to determine a motive, Tolson said.
Tolson said Lesslie was someone everyone knew.
“Dr. Lesslie was a pillar in this community with what he’s been able to give back,” he said. “He was a longtime doctor who treated me in the past. He treated everyone with respect.”
Lesslie and his wife had four children and eight grandchildren, according to a website bio.
Lesslie practiced in the area since 1981. He worked in emergency rooms for decades, including as medical director of the emergency department at Rock Hill General Hospital for almost 15 years, according to the bio. He founded two urgent care centers in the area and was an author and columnist.
The family released a statement through the sheriff ’ s office describing their grief and hope and calling for prayers for all involved, including the suspect’s family.
“We are truly in the midst of the unimaginable. The losses we are suffering cannot be uttered at this time. 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. Our hope is found in the promise of Jesus Christ,” said the statement, which Tolson read at the news conference. “To that end, our hearts are bent toward forgiveness and peace.”
Adams spent six seasons in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers, New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, Oakland Raiders, New York Jets and Atlanta Falcons, before his career ended in 2015.
Adams’ father told a Charlotte television station that he blamed football for problems that may have led his son to commit Wednesday’s violence.
“I can say he’s a good kid,” Alonzo Adams told WCNC- TV. “I think the football messed him up.”