Former NFL player reportedly identified as suspect in South Carolina shooting

Phillip Adams
(Image credit: AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

Former NFL player Phillip Adams has reportedly been identified as the suspect in a deadly shooting in South Carolina.

The former NFL star allegedly shot and killed five people in South Carolina and died by suicide on Thursday, The Associated Press reported, citing a source briefed on the investigation.

A prominent doctor, Dr. Robert Lesslie, was killed in the shooting, as was his wife and their two grandchildren and a man who was working at the home, officials said. A sixth person was also reportedly hospitalized with gunshot wounds. According to The Daily Beast, the shooting took place on Wednesday at Lesslie's home outside of Rock Hill, South Carolina, and the suspect was found following an eight-hour manhunt.

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Adams, who had reportedly been treated by the doctor, played for six teams over five seasons in the NFL, including the New York Jets and the Atlanta Falcons. York County Sheriff’s Office's spokesperson Trent Faris told AP that Lesslie was "one of those people that everybody knows" in Rock Hill.

"It is impossible to imagine the grief that the extended Lesslie family must be feeling, including and especially their adult children," Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) said Thursday. "Please join me in lifting them up in prayers, and wrapping them in the same love and support they've shown many of us over the years."

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan is a staff writer at The Week. A graduate of Hofstra University with a degree in journalism, he also writes about horror films for Bloody Disgusting and has previously contributed to The Cheat Sheet, Heavy, WhatCulture, and more. He lives in New York City surrounded by Star Wars posters.