former NFL player kills his physician and the physician's family

[Demovictory9]

Former pro NFL player Phillip Adams suspected of carrying out mass shooting in Rock Hill, South Carolina, that killed five
Victims named as Dr Robert Lesslie, 70; wife Barbara, 69; grandchildren Noah,5, and Adah, 8; James Lewis, 38, who worked at Lesslies' property, was also killed
Phillips took his own life after midnight with a .45 caliber gun
Phillips' parents live next to Lesslie family, and Dr Lesslie used to be the football player's physician

The gunman who killed five people including a prominent doctor, his wife and two grandchildren in South Carolina, was former NFL pro Phillip Adams, who killed himself early Thursday, it was revealed.

A source who was briefed on the investigation, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak publicly, said Adams’ parents live near the doctor’s home in Rock Hill, and that he had been treated by Dr Robert Lesslie.

The source said Phillips killed himself after midnight with a .45 caliber weapon.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9448293/2-children-5-killed-South-Carolina-shooting.html

[Voltaire2]

1. I'll just guess right now that he was suffering from CTE dementia.

[BeyondGeography]

2. Hard not to think that nt

[getagrip_already]

5. that doesn't make you a violent killer.......

Though it does cloud your judgement I'm sure.

I suspect there was something else going on here. This was personal. There is no indication the shooter still lived in the area. He came back to do this.

He may have had some long standing hatred, and finally decided to act on it.

But this doesn't appear to be random, or sudden.

[JI7]

6. An article I read said his parents lived near the doctor

[getagrip_already]

10. the one above said next door......

Like I said, there was history here, and an old grudge, or injury, or resentment is very possible.

Not speculating on what that might be, but there have been several cases where people abused in some way as a child returned as an adult to confront their tormentor.

I guess I did speculate, but non-specifically. Not making any accusations here.

[Treefrog]

37. Omg, this is the third post I've seen blaming the victims.

Unfuckingbelievable.

[LanternWaste]

46. I think you're confusing benign speculation with blame

You know the difference, yes?

[Treefrog]

47. Do you know the meaning of BENIGN?

None of the speculation here would fall into that word’s definition.

[4Q2u2]

19. Correct

CTE as with PTSD most problems manifest in self harm.
Giving bad actions an automatic pass does harm to getting real treatment for people.

[getagrip_already]

21. we will have to disagree then.....

He grew up next door and the doctor had treated him in the past. This doesn't seem random.

There is no indication he lived with his parents or was even visiting them. He wasn't found at their house.

And you are also speculating, irresponsibly saying all ptsd/cte results in violence. We don't know if he even had it. Not all athletes do. Not everyone who had concussions do.

So lets disagree and wait to find out more.

[Maru Kitteh]

43. Nice try but the word "can" is not ALL

Blaming murder victims for their own murder is kinda deplorable.

[Treefrog]

48. Thank you. This thread is amazing.

Had it been a ‘toxic white male’ murderer, as I saw postulated earlier, I think this thread would be very different.

[malaise]

8. My first thought

Sad for everyone

[obamanut2012]

3. Adams was old enough to definitely have had CTE

[lindysalsagal]

4. Ai already didn't like gunz or football

These are the costs of our need for violence (tackle football) and power (gunz.)

IMHO: All high school football should be flag or touch football. Period. End of discussion.

[USALiberal]

14. Not End Of Discussion! nt

[LastDemocratInSC]

17. More like end of concussions.

[hunter]

18. I agree with you.

My father-in-law and I would watch the Super Bowl every year and it was becoming a tradition.

As the CTE evidence became conclusive we quit.

I'd go further and say all high school sports should have mixed teams, male and female. If a sport isn't conductive to mixed teams it shouldn't be played in high school. (And it shouldn't matter that anyone is transgender...)

The only good reasons to have high school sports are to promote physically active lifestyles, teamwork, and a sense of community.

Out in the modern world most workplaces will have mixed teams.

I was a skinny, squeaky, highly reactive, klutzy, autistic spectrum kid who was always picked last in sports. Nobody wanted me on their teams. I never attended a high school football game and quit high school at sixteen.

In college I filled out a little bit, worked on my physical coordination, and it was only then learned that sports could be fun. I played softball in mixed sex recreational leagues, ran cross country with women and men, and worked out in the gym with women and men.

If people want their children to be football heroes they can do it on their own time, outside of school. Let professional sports pay for the coaches and facilities, and accept all the liabilities.

My own children ran cross country in high school and are still running for fun and exercise. They also belong to recreational sports leagues that have mixed sex teams.

[greenjar_01]

7. A member of our well-regulated militia...

[getagrip_already]

11. not your typical 2a nut...

He was a college grad, professional athlete, and a poc. That doesn't rule out being in a right wing cf, but he probably wasn't an oath keeper or a proud boy.

[greenjar_01]

24. Who said anything about a 2a nut?

[getagrip_already]

25. apologies.....

I made a connection you didn't intend.....

[Treefrog]

35. He was a black man. Do you think he was in a militia?

If so, why?

[greenjar_01]

40. For goodness sake

It's a comment on gun culture. Technically, according to our gun nutters, anyone who owns a gun is a member of our well-regulated militia.

[Treefrog]

49. Wow, I did not know that.

I know plenty of good Dems who live out in the country and who have guns. Pretty sure they don’t consider themselves part of any militia. Where do you live where you know such folks?

[greenjar_01]

51. Ooof

[Treefrog]

52. Oh ok, that really explains a lot.

Thanks so much!

[BradAllison]

57. Do you realize how obvious you are?

[Treefrog]

58. Please explain your point because I have no clue.

Doubt you will though. I despise victim blaming.

[BradAllison]

59. I'll explain completely....

Your posts generally always seem to be criticizing this board. You seem very upset.

[Treefrog]

63. I'll disagree with victim blaming every time. And I'll be 'obvious' about it too.

I've never been one to go along with the crowd, so best you put me on ignore if you want to always hear an echo chamber.

[lagomorph777]

9. Sports builds character.

Bad character, in this case.

I don't understand why anybody enjoys watching adult millionaires running around bashing into each other.

OK, I admit, I wouldn't mind watching Trump, McConnell, and Putin giving each other concussions...

[getagrip_already]

12. they aren't all millionaires.....

Even in the pro's, a linebacker or end doesn't have a 7 figure contract as a rule, and their careers are pretty short. There are exceptions, but there is a rank and file that merely are paid well.

[WarGamer]

42. He made $3.6M in 5 seasons.

He never made over $1M a year, but certainly a millionaire. Did I mention the beefy NFL pension?

BTW, for 2021 the NFL MINIMUM salary is $660k a year. And pretty much NO ONE earns the minimum.

[tavernier]

13. I agree, but we are in the minority.

I learned long ago not to say anything negative about our national religion, football, on DU. It is considered blasphemy.

[Polly Hennessey]

16. And you speaketh the truth.

I would expand beyond DU to include the entire country. We are a violent country even in our sports.

[Renew Deal]

28. You don't need to understand it.

[lagomorph777]

30. Can't solve it without understanding it.

It's a social toxin. Violence as entertainment shapes our culture in very bad ways.

[Renew Deal]

31. That's my point

You don't want to "solve" anything. You're better off going on pretending to not understand.

[lagomorph777]

33. I guess superficially I understand. Some people like violence.

I just don't get why. I have always been repulsed by it.

[mopinko]

15. the family better demand they examine his brain.

escalating violence is def something that happens.

i bet we hear a sad tale of decline from the family.

[Tndem615]

22. I wonder

What the doctor/ family could have possibly done to cause Adams to snap like that. Perhaps it’s playing related brain injury, but who knows. We may never know what caused this tragedy. But once again, if there was no gun available, everyone would be alive.

[Treefrog]

36. Wow, this is truly one of the most victim-blaming posts i have seen on du.

You think somehow the elderly doctor and his family, including grandkids, caused this asshat to snap and kill them?

[Tndem615]

45. No.

I’m saying something certainly did. Either there was something medical going on, or some horrible interaction occurred

[Treefrog]

50. God, the irony.

[SMC22307]

55. Really? Do really wonder about that? Tell us what a 5- or 8-year-old could have done...

to cause Adams to "snap."

[Jirel]

23. Another sports "hero."

Regardless of the ultimate cause, here’s yet another in the lineup of sports abusers, crooks, killers, dog torturers, etc. Why we idolize sportball players, is beyond me. Stop subsidizing teams, building stadiums, supporting astronomical player salaries, and publicly lionizing players. This is the most ludicrously expensive form of entertainment, and does not merit that kind of money or attention.

[Mosby]

27. -1

The rock made 88 million last year from some stupid movies. How much are the tickets?

How much does beyonce make on tour? How much are tickets?

The video game industry made 200 BILLION dollars last year. How much does a video game cost? How about the console?

At least with sports stars, we know they are the best in the world, unlike actors and entertainers.

[Jirel]

34. Waaah from a sports fan in denial...

Movies do not cost taxpayers literally billions.

Movies do not cause entire neighborhoods, often poor ones, to be gentrified or bulldozed.

Movies do not block highway and street traffic, and make it unaffordable - or even impossible - for residents and businesses in the are of stadiums from getting home or to work, of park.

Movies are not made unavailable in certain areas as a extortion move to fill exorbitantly expensive stadium seats.

Movie stars do not come from a money-wasting college entertainment machine that detracts from learning in favor of propping up jocks.

Get over the stupid comparison. Pro sports and their players, coaches, and owners should be busted down to minor league levels, at best.

[Mosby]

41. Player unions make sure the athletes are compensated fairly based on revenue.

Last edited Thu Apr 8, 2021, 09:28 PM - Edit history (1)

Do you have a problem with that?

Athletics are a route that allows 10s of thousands of people of color to obtain college degrees.

32 percent of mlb players are latino.

59 percent of nfl players are African americans.

80 percent of players in the NBA are AAs.

[bluedigger]

26. Combine CTE with an oxycodone habit and what do you get?

Adams' had a severe leg injury early in his pro career. If his doctor refused to renew his pain killer prescription... Just conjecture.

[Brother Buzz]

39. I can entertain that theory until we learn more

A case of doctor shopping that went horribly wrong

[maxsolomon]

29. If he had a beef with the doctor, that's one thing.

He killed the dude's wife and GRANDKIDS. CTE, childhood sex abuse, prescription drugs habit, IDGAF.

Guns make everything worse.

[Treefrog]

38. "If he had a beef with the doctor, that's one thing."

So if I gotta beef with someone, murder is all good, right? Just don’t kill the family. Holy toledo Batman.

[maxsolomon]

44. Yeah, put words in my mouth.

"Beefs" tend to be a very common rationale for gun murders - to the extent that there is a rationale for an irrational act. I am in no way condoning it.

The button to hide all my comments is right there. Go ahead and push it.

[Treefrog]

53. I didn't put words in your mouth. I quoted you directly.

Funny that you missed that somehow.

[USALiberal]

62. So you want patients to kill doctors? Nt

[roamer65]

54. Autopsy of his brain is needed.

I bet it is full of CTE lesions.

[SMC22307]

56. The victim-blaming in this thread is hideous. What's driving it...

the racial makeup of the victims and shooter? Absolutely disgusting to see, especially on DU.

[Sympthsical]

60. Not surprising

Especially given how a lot of the anti-Asian threads have gone.

There is one narrative, and it shall not be strayed from.

[Polybius]

61. May he rot in Hell

Seriously fuck him for killing the kids especially.