2021 Rock Hill shooting
On April 7, 2021, six people were shot and killed at a house in Rock Hill, South Carolina by Phillip Adams, a former reserve cornerback in the National Football League. Adams, who lived in Rock Hill, killed four of the nearby Lesslie family (a couple and their two grandchildren), as well as two repairmen who were working on the Lesslies' household HVAC unit. After being found in his parents' house, police tried to negotiate with him. He then shot and killed himself, and was found dead the next day.
| 2021 Rock Hill shooting | |
|---|---|
Rock Hill, the location of the shooting, pictured in 2018 | |
| Location | Rock Hill, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Date | April 7, 2021 4:45 p.m. EDT (20:45 UTC) |
Attack type | Mass shooting, murder–suicide |
| Weapon | .45-caliber handgun 9 mm handgun |
| Deaths | 7 (including the perpetrator who committed suicide) |
| Injured | 0 |
| Perpetrator | Phillip Adams |
Adams' motive was never discovered. However, in his autopsy, he was diagnosed to have had a Stage II case of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disease which he likely received from damage to his frontal lobes while playing football. This included two concussions he received while playing for the Oakland Raiders in 2012. CTE is caused by repeated injuries to the head. It can lead to cognitive decline, and, when the frontal lobes are damaged, a lowering of the threshold it takes for someone to commit murder.