2021 Rock Hill shooting

2021 Rock Hill shooting
Rock Hill in 2018
Location	Rock Hill, South Carolina, U.S.
Date	April 7, 2021 (2021-04-07) 4:45 p.m. EDT (20:45 UTC)
Attack type	Mass shooting, murder–suicide
Weapon	.45-caliber Thompson submachine gun[1] 9 mm Heckler & Koch MP5[2][3]
Deaths	7 (including the perpetrator who committed suicide)
Injured	0
Perpetrator	Phillip Adams

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 his neighbors (a couple and their two grandchildren in the Lesslie family) at their home, as well as two repairmen who were working on the house's HVAC unit. After leaving the scene, he went to his parents' house, where he was found by police. The police tried to negotiate with him, but he fatally shot himself, and was found dead the next day.

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 cause the frontal lobes to be damaged, which can result in violent and impulsive behavior.