2021 Rock Hill shooting
| 2021 Rock Hill shooting | |
|---|---|
| Part of mass shootings in the United States | |
.jpg) 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[1] 9 mm handgun[2] |
| Deaths | 7 (including the perpetrator) |
| Perpetrator | Phillip Adams |
On April 7, 2021, six people, including two children, were shot and killed at a house in Rock Hill, South Carolina, United States. Phillip Adams, a former National Football League player, was named as the perpetrator.[3][4]
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 "Former N.F.L. Player Kills 5 in South Carolina", The New York Times, April 8, 2021 |
On April 8, 2021, the York County Sheriff's Office said in a press conference that the perpetrator was Adams, confirmed by his father Alonzo Adams.[5] A spokesperson for the York County Sheriff’s Office said that the perpetrator had been identified and they were in the process of searching his home. Police also said they believed no other perpetrators were involved.[1] According to the coroners' office, Adams subsequently shot and killed himself with a .45-caliber handgun.[1][6]
Shooting
Police received 911 calls starting about 4:45 p.m. EDT. A neighbor called after hearing gunshots, along with a repairman that had been shot.[7] Responding police officers found two repairmen in the yard of the home. Police found evidence at the scene that tied Adams to the shooting.[8]
Around 9:00 p.m. EDT, police surrounded Adams' parents' house. They then spent several hours negotiating with Adams, and sent in a robot to scan the house. Adams' parents were evacuated from the house, and police found Adams dead inside. Police found both a .45-caliber handgun and a 9 mm gun inside the house.[9]
Victims
The fatally shot victims included 70-year-old Dr. Robert Lesslie, his wife Barbara, their two grandchildren, and a man working outside the house at the time. A sixth victim and fellow worker was critically injured in the shooting and was flown to a Charlotte hospital afterwards.[10][11] He died on April 10.[12]
Lesslie was a prominent local doctor who founded two urgent care centers.[13] He wrote a weekly medical column for The Charlotte Observer and was an author of medical advice books.[10]
Response
Adams had no prior criminal record.[14] His father, Alonzo, suggested that football may have played a role in the shooting, stating in an interview with WCNC-TV that the sport "messed him up".[5] President Joe Biden mentioned the shooting in a speech about gun reform on April 8.[15]
Notes
References
- ^ a b c Kinnard, Meg. "AP source: NFL player Phillip Adams killed 5, then himself". AP. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
- ^ Liu, Michelle; Kinnard, Meg (April 8, 2021). "Former 49ers player Phillip Adams kills 5, then himself, sheriff says". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
- ^ "South Carolina mass shooting: Former NFL pro killed 5, then himself, sources say". WSOC TV. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
- ^ "NFL pro Phillip Adams kills five, then himself". CNBC. April 8, 2021. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
- ^ a b "Father of York County mass shooting suspect says son killed 5 others, then himself". wcnc.com. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
- ^ Crump, James; Zoellner, Danielle (April 8, 2021). "Ex-NFL player reported as gunman who killed renowned doctor and grandchildren". The Independent. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
- ^ Peter, Christine Fernando, Christal Hayes, Daniel J. Gross and Josh. "'Nothing makes sense': Former NFL player Phillip Adams shot, killed five people – including family – in South Carolina, police say". USA TODAY. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Cramer, Maria; Levenson, Michael; Belson, Ken (April 8, 2021). "Doctor and His Grandchildren Among 5 Fatally Shot in South Carolina". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
- ^ "Authorities: NFL player Phillip Adams killed 5, then himself". AP NEWS. April 8, 2021. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
- ^ a b "Authorities: NFL player Phillip Adams killed 5, then himself". Yahoo! News. April 7, 2021. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|authors=ignored (help) - ^ News. "Doctor, his grandkids among 5 killed in shootings at South Carolina home: Officials". ABC News. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ "Robert Shook, sixth victim in Rock Hill shooting, dies from injuries". wcnc.com. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
- ^ "'To know the Lesslie family is to love them.' Prominent doctor, wife and two grandchildren killed in York Co". WBTV. April 8, 2021. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
- ^ Bella, Timothy (April 8, 2021). "Five dead in S.C. shooting committed by ex-NFL player Phillip Adams, who then killed himself, authorities say". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
- ^ Dys, Andrew (April 8, 2021). "SC mass shooting: Phillip Adams' motive unknown in killing | Rock Hill Herald". Retrieved April 9, 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)