International- Five people including a prominent doctor in South Carolina were killed in a
shooting on Wednesday. - An AP source said the gunman was former
NFL player Phillip Adams. - Adams died by suicide on Thursday, the source said.
The gunman who killed five people including a prominent doctor in South Carolina was former NFL pro Phillip Adams, who killed himself early Thursday, a source who was briefed on the investigation told the Associated Press.
The source, who spoke 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 the doctor. The source said Phillips killed himself after midnight with a .45 caliber weapon.
The York County Sheriff's Office said they had searched for hours before finding the suspect in a nearby home.
The York County coroner's office said Dr. Robert Lesslie, 70, and his wife, Barbara Lesslie, 69, were pronounced dead at the scene along with grandchildren Adah Lesslie, 9, and Noah Lesslie, 5.
A man who had been working at the home, James Lewis, 38, from Gaston, was found shot to
Faris said deputies were called around 4:45 p.m. Wednesday to the Lesslies' home in the Rock Hill area, and spent hours searching for the suspect before finding him in a nearby home.
The York County Sheriff's Office told WCNC that Adams died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after a standoff with police.
Alzono Adams, Adams' father, confirmed to WCNC that his son is the shooting suspect.
"I think the football messed him up," he said. "(Lesslie) used to be my doctor a long time ago, I know they were good folks ... we're going to keep them in our prayers."
Faris called the shooting a "tragic situation" during a
"None of us can figure out why," Faris said.
"Dr. Lesslie was my doctor growing up," Faris added. "Dr. Lesslie has been one of those people that everybody knows. He started Riverview Medical Center in Rock Hill and it's been a staple in Rock Hill for years."
A biography page of Dr. Lesslie said he and his wife of 35 years raised four children. He had been practicing medicine in Rock Hill since 1981, according to the Riverview website. He received his degree at the Medical University of South Carolina and has worked in the surrounding Rock Hill area and Charlotte, North Carolina.
Rock Hill is a city in northernmost South Carolina about 25 miles (40 kilometers) southwest of Charlotte, North Carolina.