No shots were heard from the home,Tolson said, but police found Adams dead inside of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. I cant put it all together and Im trying to, and I witnessed it, Hope said. This is something I cant grasp yet. A biography page said he and his wife raised four children and that Lesslie received his degree at the Medical University of South Carolina. He founded two urgent care centers in the area and wrote a weekly medical column for The Charlotte Observer. He liked to laugh, he loved good jokes, he loved pranks, he loved to fish," Lewis said. Indeed, more than two weeks since the shootings, questions that have been asked over and over around the country are lingeringin Rock Hill. Lewis leaves behind a daughter and two sons, according to a GoFundMe. ", RELATED: Deputies provide timeline of events for Rock Hill shooting. Our hope is found in the promise of Jesus Christ," said the statement, which was read at the news conference by Tolson. Rock Hill is a city in northernmost South Carolina about 25 miles southwest of Charlotte, North Carolina. ROCK HILL, S.C. (FOX 46 CHARLOTTE) . As CS Lewis has said, 'come further up, come further in. Beth Langley, an organizer for the event, did not respond to a request for comment. Adams, a Rock Hill native, was a former NFL player,according to ESPN. A gunman opened fire at a Rock . 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. They evacuated the neighbors as they spent hours searching for a suspect with police dogs. Lesslieand his wife had four children and eight grandchildren, according to a website bio. The losses we are suffering cannot be uttered at this time. 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. Faris said Lesslie was very well known in the Rock Hill community. Earlier, The Associated Press reported the gunman had been treated by the doctor, citing a source who was briefed on the investigation. "It doesn't happen here," said Trent Faris, a York County Sheriff's Office spokesman. Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. 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. Moments later, a vehicle pulled into the Adams' driveway and law enforcement quickly surrounded the property. "It was different in that it was unusually severe in both frontal lobes.". "I also want to send my sincere condolences to the family of James Lewis. The following statement that we shared after the event remains true to this day. Moments later, a vehicle pulled into the Adams driveway and law enforcement quickly surrounded the property. He vacated an apartment there before he returned to his parents home in recent weeks, and detectives foundfirearms and a gun safe left behind at the residence, according to the search warrant. 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. As far as I know it is, Tom Ayres, the organizations finance officer, told USA TODAY Sports. RELATED: Ex-NFL player who killed 6 in Rock Hill had 'severe' CTE, doctor says. Thursday 08 April 2021 22:32. . ROCK HILL, S.C. New warrants released Friday reveal what York County deputies found as they investigated the deadly shooting in Rock Hill earlier in April . It should no longer be swept under the rug, Phyllis Adams said. And towards the end he felt like they were trying to basically stiff him on money, she said. You can listen now on Android, iPhone, Amazon, and other internet-connected devices. Deputies say this retelling of events was relayed to them by Shook as he lay injured outside. He played in the NFL six years, most recently with the Atlanta Falcons, until the 2015 season. Adams was found dead inside his home from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. According to doctors, CTE has been found in professional athletes and symptoms include cognitive, behavioral and mood changes. There was unusual behavior. Phillip Adams shot 6 people on Wednesday, April 7, 2021 killing Dr. Robert Lesslie, . Tobie Nell Perkins. It raised $400,000, which was split evenly between the families. It is difficult to say that it alone resulted in these behaviors because usually, it's a complicated issue with many other factors," McKee said. Meyers was tracked to Kansas with help from the U.S. ", The NFL said in a statement, "Our hearts go out to the families and friends of the victims of these devastating tragedies.". Rarely a starter, the gunman also was with New England, Seattle, Oakland and the New York Jets, finishing his career with the Atlanta Falcons in 2015. Sixty years ago, the city drew national attention for two racist incidents. Gray, president of the NAACP chapter in Rock Hill, said Its impossible to ignore the racial element of the killings. First published on April 8, 2021 / 4:40 AM. However, Tolson would not confirm that Adams had been the doctors patient. I mean, he could have walked in the house with a hammer and killed everybody,"Wisher said. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Example video title will go here for this video. We are pleased to have a better understanding of the mental turmoil that Phillip was dealing with during the last moments of his life. Police said the suspect, Phillip Adams, was found dead at a nearby house. Over the past two years, Adams behavior shifted dramatically, said his sister, LaurenAdams. Rock Hill PD (WSOC) By WSOCTV.com News Staff March 24, 2021 at 1:07 pm EDT ROCK HILL, S.C. Police in Rock Hill said a man is behind bars after he shot and killed another man Wednesday morning. 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.. 4:52 p.m.: YCSO units arrive on the scene at the Lesslie family's property. York County Sheriff Kevin Tolson told a news conference that investigators had not yet determined a motive for Wednesdays mass shooting. The York County Coroners Office said Adams was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at a nearby home on the same road as the Lesslies, following a standoff. Hefounded two urgent care centers in the area and was an author and columnist. On Thursday, Tolson said the family had asked that any memorials be made to the camp. . Whether he suffered long-lasting concussion-related injuries wasnt immediately clear. There also are neurocognitive benefits, worth approximately $36,000 to $60,000 a year, and total and permanent disability benefits worth approximately $60,000 to $265,000. The sixth victim of a shooting in Rock Hill, South Carolina, earlier this week has died, the York County coroner announced Saturday. 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. All of us who knew Philip are shaking our heads. Adams father told a Charlotte television station he blamed football for his sons problems, which might have led him to commit Wednesdays violence. 9:04. . 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. "Mr. Adams' CTE pathology was different than the other young NFL players with CTE," McKee said. He was a good father," Casterline said. He never played for the 49ers again, getting released just before the 2011 season began and signing with New England. Robert Lesslie and his wife had four children and five grandchildren,his website biography said. Looking for something special to get your mom for Mothers Day? The Associated Press contributed to this report. 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. 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. This is where they encounter initial gunshot wound victims outside of the home. I didnt think it was right.. Authorities said 24-year-old Brendon Robert Meyers was taken into custody in Ellis County, Kansas for his involvement in the death of Winston Salem resident Harterius Massey who was found shot in a driveway near 300 Rich Street on Feb. 19. 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? Scott estimated that only 20%of former players are approved for disability benefits. Allison Hope, who lives across from the gunman's parents' modest one-story brick home, about a mile from the Lesslies, said police allowed her to return home around 9 p.m. Wednesday. Robert and Barbara Lesslie in a photo posted to Robert Lesslie's website. The gunman often isolated himself, even as a player, his agent, Scott Casterline, told the AP. This page was last changed on 24 April 2023, at 21:56. 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. The Lesslie family said in a statement, "We are truly in the midst of the unimaginable. Posted: Apr 8, 2021 / 12:37 PM EDT. "There's nothing about this right nowthat makes sense to any of us," York County Sheriff Kevin Tolson said Thursday afternoon at a news conference. By participating in the research process, we hope to bring awareness to this condition so that players young and old can understand the risks. Two weeks before the killings, Lauren Adams said, Phillip Adams indicated he had applied with the NFL for disability benefits. ROCK HILL, S.C. (AP) The man charged with killing someone in South Carolina this week had wounded the same victim in a shootout at a North Carolina mall earlier this year, investigators said. Adams often isolated himself, even as a player, his agent, Scott Casterline, told the AP. Adams, 32, played in 78 NFL games over six seasons for six teams. [3] [4] Five of the shooting victims died, while a sixth is hospitalized in critical condition [5] with serious gunshot wounds. We need to have an awakening in our city to let the people know that this is not the direction we want to let our city to go in.". 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Questions are still swirling about how this shooting happened, mainly on what led Adams to do this. Weve got a long way to go in our community in a lot of different ways, Mayor John Gettys told USA TODAY Sports. 6 [nb 1] Injured. Article bookmarked. Police charged 24-year-old Jarod Nelson with murder on Feb. 24 for his involvement in the crime. "He was part of my family. I know without a doubt that life is fragile, Lesslie wrote in one of those books, Angels in the ER., I am convinced we need to take the time to say the things we deeply feel to the people we deeply care about., A statement from the Lesslie family said they were in the midst of the unimaginable but felt assured by faith that their hearts are bent toward forgiveness and peace.. "He had treated me in the past," he said. 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. Dr. Robert Lesslie, 70, and his wife, Barbara Lesslie, 69, were pronounced dead at the scene in Rock Hill along with grandchildren Adah Lesslie, 9, and Noah Lesslie, 5, the York County coroner's office said. Marshals, Homeland Security and the Kansas State Police. A man who had been working at the Lesslie home, James Lewis, 38, from Gaston, was found shot to death outside. McKee believes repetitive blows to the head, even low-impact injuries, caused Adams to develop the brain disease. 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. ROCK HILL, S.C. (FOX 46 CHARLOTTE) A second man wanted for murder in connection to a February homicide in Rock Hill was arrested in Kansas Tuesday, according to the Rock Hill Police Department. She said they have touched upon the sensitive nature of race relations in Rock Hill.". Ex-NFL player Phillip Adams kills 5, injures 1 in Rock Hill, SC before killing himself. Later that year, civil rights icon John Lewis was beaten bloody at a Greyhound Bus Stop. . Last December, Adam's family shared how hard it was to get the help they knew he needed. This page is not available in other languages. There have been 156 mass shootings (with 4 or more people shot) in the US so far in 2021. York County Sheriff Kevin Tolson reads a statement from the victims' families during a press conference on Thursday, April 8, 2021, in York, S.C., where he addressed the mass shooting by former NFL football player Phillip Adams. 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. Saturday evening: Robert Shook, the lone survivor of the shooting who was receiving medical treatment for his injuries, was confirmed to have died, according to the York County Coroner. It would be impossible for the disability office, as it's structured now, to reach players who are in need of help rather than waiting for those players to ask for help, according to Scott. "We have contacted Boston University and they will be working with us to conduct a brain study to identify if Mr. Adams had CTE," the office said in a statement Friday evening, noting that routine forensic autopsies do not identify the disease. Some neighbors were evacuated as law enforcerssearchedfor the suspect with police dogs. In the days after his death, it turned into a memorial with people leaving flowers and notes in honor of a doctor who was well known and well-loved. "There's nothing right now that makes sense to any of us," Tolson told reporters. In search of answers, Adams family donated his brain to Boston Universitys CTE Center, where Dr. Ann McKeefound he suffered from a severe case of a brain disease most often seen in athletes. 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. I can't put it all together and I'm trying to, and I witnessed it," Hope said. Adams father told a Charlotte television station that he blamed football for problems that may have led his son to commit Wednesdays violence. "We did recover evidence at the scene that linked Mr. Adams to that area definitively," Tolsonsaid at a news conference Thursday. And I am convinced we need to take the time to say the things we deeply feel to the people we deeply care about.". This is so unlike him. Updated: 5:05 PM EDT April 23, 2021. During the briefing, York County Sheriff Kevin Tolson urged patience and saidrumors about what could have lead to the shooting are unfounded. A study published in 2017 showed out of 111 NFL players whose brains were donated for CTE testing, 110 were found to have had the disease. 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.". RELATED: Shooting suspect Phillip Adams played 6 NFL seasons. We were concerned about someone vandalizing the grave,"said Ramseur of the Robinson Funeral Home. FROM APRIL 2021: Rock Hill community honors those killed in mass shooting. November 25, 2021. More than a dozen news vehicles and TV trucks lined the side of Marshall Road outside Adamshome. Former Cowboys cornerback Kevin Smith, who trained the gunman leading up to the 2010 draft and after he entered the league, said he was a hard worker.