Former NFL player Phillip Adams died by apparent suicide in South Carolina after he shot and killed five people, including a prominent doctor, his wife and their two grandchildren, the York County Sheriff’s Office said.
Adams, 32, was found dead from a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound in a nearby home on the same street as the victims after a standoff with police, authorities said. He played as a defensive back for multiple NFL teams, including the San Francisco 49ers and the Atlanta Falcons.
Deputies responded to a report of gunfire about 4:45 p.m. Wednesday at a residence in the 4400 block of Marshall Road in Rock Hill, about 27 miles southwest of Charlotte, the sheriff’s office said. Inside the home, authorities found the bodies of Dr. Robert Lesslie, 70, Barbara Lesslie, 69, and their grandchildren.
The York County Coroner’s Office said the grandchildren were Adah Lesslie, 9, and Noah Lesslie, 5.
All “died as a result of gunshot wounds,” the sheriff’s office said Thursday in a tweet.
The fifth victim, James Lewis, was working at the home at the time of the shooting, according to the agency. The coroner’s office said the man was 38 years old and from Gastonia, North Carolina.
An unidentified sixth victim was being treated for serious injuries, Trent Faris, a spokesperson for the York County Sheriff’s Office, said.
After an hourslong manhunt, Faris said Thursday officers found a suspect who “lives on the same road” as the victims, and a search warrant was served on the house.
At one point during the search for the suspected gunman, residents were urged to stay inside their homes and lock their doors. By Thursday morning, the York County Sheriff’s Office said there was “no active threat to the community.”
“We have IDed the person we feel is responsible for the shooting on Marshall Rd,” the agency said in another tweet. “We found him in a nearby house.”
Investigators did not immediately determine a motive for the shooting.
A man who identified himself as the father of Adams told NBC affiliate WCNC that his son killed himself after he shot six people, killing five and injuring one.
“I think the football messed him up,” Alonzo Adams told the station.
An NFL spokesperson would not confirm any details about Adams’ death, but expressed their condolences.
“Our hearts go out to the families and friends of the victims of this devastating tragedy,” the NFL said.
The San Francisco 49ers drafted Adams in 2010 but he was cut before the 2011 season because of an ankle injury. He also played briefly for the New England Patriots, Oakland Raiders, Seattle Seahawks, New York Jets and the Atlanta Falcons.
Robert Lesslie was the founder and medical director of Riverview House Calls & Riverview Hospice and Palliative Care, according to the company’s website. He practiced in Rock Hill for 40 years and received his medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina, the website said.
He and his wife had four adult children and eight grandchildren.
Rock Hill is the fifth largest city in South Carolina with a population of about 73,000.
Officer Faris, who has lived in Rock Hill his entire life, said Lesslie was his childhood doctor.
“A lot of people know Dr. Lesslie,” Faris said. “This is a very tragic, tragic situation.”
