A former NFL player, Phillip Adams, is reported to be the gunman who killed five people in South Carolina, including well known and respected doctor before killing himself.
Adams parents lived near Rock Hill, South Carolina where the shooting took place. A source close to the investigation who confirmed the identity of Adams to The Associated Press said he had been treated by the doctor in the past.
The shooting victims were identified as Dr. Robert Lesslie, 70; his wife, Barbara Lesslie, 69; their two grandchildren, and James Lewis, 39, who was working at the home when he was struck by gunfire, the sheriff’s office said. Lewis was found dead outside the home.
The grandchildren were ages 5 and 9, according to the York County Coroner’s Office.
York County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Trent Faris called Dr. Lesslie “a staple” in Rock Hill for years.
Deputies were called to a home around 4:45 p.m. following a report of a shooting involving multiple individuals. Faris said he was “shocked that this type of incident” occurred in Rock Hill.
Faris continued saying, “It doesn’t happen here. It’s one of those strange things that a lot of people are going to have a hard time understanding and we just hope that everybody understands that we’re going to do everything we can to try to figure out why this happened here.”
