Former NFL DB Phillip Adams committed the gruesome murder of 5 people this past Wednesday before taking his own life as well. Considering the extent of the crime, the brain of Adams will be tested for CTE.
Advertisement
Phillip Adams went to the house of Dr Robert Lesslie and shot and killed 5 people. The deceased included Robert Lesslie, his wife Barbara, 9-year-old Adah Lesslie and 5-year-old Noah Lesslie, and James Lewis, a 38-year-old air conditioning technician from Gaston who was doing work there. Phillips was found dead early on Thursday at his home.
Five dead, one critically injured in a South Carolina shooting. The suspect is allegedly NFL player Philip Adams, who committed suicide following the event. pic.twitter.com/Xj9oamFnnx
— Nicholas Hunter (@nikolo_h) April 8, 2021
Phillip Adams brain will be tested for CTE.
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) has been closely associated with military veterans and athletes. Professional football players and others who have been repeatedly or violently struck in the head. A recent study found signs of the disease in 110 of 111 NFL players whose brains were inspected.
York County Coroner Sabrina Gast released a statement this past Friday that approval had been received by the Adams’ family to do the CTE procedure. While routine forensic autopsies “do not identify chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE),” the York County, South Carolina, Coroner’s Office said it will work in tandem with Boston University researchers who have been at the forefront of the degenerative brain disease.
Phillip Adams played in 78 games over his 6 seasons as an NFL pro. A fact to note, however, is Adams had suffered 2 concussions over a 3 games span during his time at the Raiders in 2012. Whether these concussions were bad enough to cause long-lasting effects wouldn’t have been known at the time
NEW DETAILS: York County coroner Sabrina Gast says they’ll be working with Boston University to conduct a brain study to identify if Rock Hill shooting suspect Phillip Adams had CTE, the brain injury known to afflict football players. The latest at 6 pm on @wcnc. pic.twitter.com/n0jdWtSbE9
— Brandon Goldner (@BrandonWCNC) April 9, 2021
Phillip Adams Family spoke on Phillip’s mental state.
Adams’ father spoke up on his son’s demise and blamed football for their troubles. “I can say he’s a good kid – he was a good kid, and I think the football messed him up,” Alonzo Adams told WCNC-TV. “He didn’t talk much and he didn’t bother nobody.”
Adams’ sister told USA Today that her brother’s “mental health degraded fast and terribly bad” in recent years and that the family noticed “extremely concerning” signs of mental illness, including an escalating temper and personal hygiene neglect.
NEW from a source who used to teach Philip Adams in Rock Hill, SC: “As a teacher we always have a few kids that we wouldn’t be surprised if they killed a bunch of people. He wasn’t one of those kids.”
— Parker Quinlan (@ParkerQuinlan1) April 8, 2021
In a statement, Adams’ parents and siblings sent their condolences to the Lesslie, Lewis and Shook families. “The Phillip we know is not a man that is capable of the atrocities he committed on Wednesday.”
CTE has been a cause of concern for former and current NFL players alike. If Adams’ tests come through for CTE, it could cause major alarm amongst NFL circles. Regardless, the NFL and its medical team must look into the same.
