ROCK HILL, S.C. — Friday marks two years since police say former NFL player Phillip Adams shot and killed six people at a home on Marshall Road in Rock Hill before taking his own life.
The victims were Dr. Robert Lesslie, his wife, Barbara Lesslie, their two grandchildren -- Adah, 9, and Noah, 5 -- as well as James Lewis and Robert Shook. Lewis and Shook were at the Lesslie home to do HVAC work.
Dr. Robert Lesslie was a prominent doctor in Rock Hill. He treated patients at Riverview Family Medicine & Urgent Care.
The Lesslie family were longtime members of the First ARP Church in Rock Hill. Barbara and Robert Lesslie sang in the choir.
Eight months after the deadly shooting, doctors found that Adams showed signs of severe brain damage caused by CTE.
Dr. Ann McKee, a neuropathologist and expert on neurogenerative diseases at Boston University, said Adams had severe CTE in both frontal lobes of his brain. Dr. Sabrina Gast, the York County coroner, said Adams' family told officials he had complained of excruciating pain, memory issues and difficulty sleeping late in life.
"His 20-year career put him at high risk for development of CTE," McKee, who conducted the study on Adams' brain, said. "It's a progressive disease that worsens with age. In many instances, it is a disease of the young."
Police say Adams took his own life as officers were closing in on him. Adams was from Rock Hill. He played in the NFL six years, most recently with the Atlanta Falcons, until the 2015 season. He had several documented injuries in his career.