SC Sheriff Reveals New Details In Rock Hill Mass Shooting

ROCK HILL, SC — York County authorities said they have identified the gunman believed to be behind a mass shooting of six people in Rock Hill, South Carolina, Wednesday evening that claimed the lives of five, including a prominent doctor.

The shooting, which occurred around 4:45 p.m. Wednesday, prompted a massive manhunt by the York County Sheriff's Office near the scene in the 4400 block of Marshall Road at the home of Dr. Robert Lesslie. Those killed include Lesslie, his wife Barbara, along with their grandchildren, Adah Lesslie, 9, and Noah Lesslie, 5.

James Lewis of Gastonia, North Carolina, who was working at the home, was also killed, YCSO said. One other person — an air conditioning technician working with Lewis— was also shot and as of Thursday afternoon, remained in critical condition.

Rock Hill is about 30 miles south of Charlotte.

"We have ID'd the person we feel is responsible for the shooting on Marshall Rd," YCSO confirmed early Thursday morning. "We found him in a nearby house. There is no active threat to the community."

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York County Sheriff Kevin Tolson confirmed Thursday afternoon that the gunman was former NFL player Phillip Adams, who lived with his parents about a quarter of a mile away.

Authorities were alerted to the shooting by 911 calls, including one from an 80-year-old neighbor who told the dispatcher he heard dozens of shots while he was cutting grass.

Responding deputies arrived at the home in less than 10 minutes, and found the technicians with gunshot wounds in the driveway near their work vans.

"Once we cleared the home, we found Dr. Robert Lesslie, his wife Barbara and their two grandchildren in a room in the back of the house, all deceased with gunshot wounds," Tolson said.

Investigators were able to quickly identify Adams, who they said forced his way into the home, as a suspect due to evidence that linked him to the scene, Tolson said.

When deputies arrived at the Adams home to serve a search warrant, they were able to remove Phillip Adams parents from the residence and began an attempt to negotiate his surrender.

Around 2 a.m., deputies confirmed that he had killed himself with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

"We did not hear any gunshots," Tolson said. "We did try to negotiate and get him out of the room that he was in. We did not receive what we believed to be an adequate response, so that's speculative about whether or not he had already shot himself, or he shot himself as we were arriving, or while we were on the scene," Tolson said.

"There's nothing about this that makes sense to any of us," he said.

The investigation will now turn to motive, the sheriff said.

"If we can succeed in that, in answering some why questions, that will certainly relieve the minds of the families that have been affected and put some closure for us to this investigation," Tolson said.

Adams, who was a former defensive back for the Atlanta Falcons and the 49ers, had suffered injuries including concussions and a broken ankle during his football career, WSOC reported.

Thursday morning, Adams' father, Alonzo Adams, confirmed reports that his son shot himself in the family's home during the police standoff.

"He was a good kid," his father told WCNC. "I think the football messed him up."

Adams said Dr. Lesslie had, at one point, also been his doctor. "He used to be my doctor, a long time ago," he said. "I know they were good folks down there."