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AP source: NFL pro Phillip Adams killed five, then himself in South Carolina shooting

South Carolina Shooting Report
Phillip Adams
Posted at 5:36 AM, Apr 08, 2021
and last updated 2021-04-08 12:07:34-04

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A source briefed on a mass killing in South Carolina says the gunman who killed five people including a prominent doctor was former NFL pro Phillip Adams.

The source tells AP that Adams shot himself to death early Thursday with a .45 caliber weapon.

The source said he was briefed on the investigation, but not authorized to speak publicly.

The source said Adams had been treated by Dr. Robert Lesslie, and that his parents lived nearby in Rock Hill.

Phillip Adams
FILE - In this Oct. 17, 2010 file photo, San Francisco 49ers cornerback Phillip Adams (35) sits on the sideline during the first quarter of an NFL football game in San Francisco. A source briefed on a mass killing in South Carolina says the gunman who killed multiple people, including a prominent doctor, was the former NFL pro. The source said that Adams shot himself to death early Thursday, April 8, 2021. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)

The victims also included Lesslie's wife Barbara, their grandchildren Adah and Noah, and a man working outside, identified as James Lewis.

CNN reports that Robert Lesslie was the founder of Riverview Medical Center and had been practicing medicine in the area for 40 years. Those in the area say he was well-known and well-regarded in the community.

Adams was born in Rock Hill and played football at South Carolina State. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in 2010, and went on to play for the Patriots, Raiders, Seahawks, Jets and Falcons.