Phillip Adam Kills 5 and himself. Was it CTE?
Ex-NFL football pro athlete, Phillip Adams fires off around 20 shots and kills five and himself. Among the dead, Dr. Robert Lesslie (70 Years Old), his wife, Barbara Lesslie (69 Years Old) and their grandchildren Adah Lesslie (9 years old) and Noah Lesslie (5 years old) and James Lewis (38 years old), an air conditioning technician.
A 991 call from a heating and air company altered police to the shooting around 4:45pm. The York county Sheriff’s office said they had difficulty finding Phillilp Adams, at first. They searched for hours with canine units and ultimately found him dead in a nearby home, not visible from the road.
Football Injuries, CTE?
The Ex-49ers and Raiders player, played in 78 total NFL games over five seasons. During that time, Phillip Adams suffered a major injury to his ankle that resulted in screws needing to be inserted in his leg and two severe concussions.
His father, Alonzo Adams, speaks to Phillip Adam’s character and state of mind, “I can say he’s a good kid, and I think the football messed him up.” Adams isn’t the only one to do something awful that later found out to be related to CTE. CTE has been prevalent among football athletes who suffered several concussions in the game. Other players that had CTE John Mackey, Ray Easterling, Ken Stabler, Bo Jackson. Some have acted out in Violence. Some have suicided. There is no cure for CTE. CTE can only be diagnosed after death through a brain autopsy.
What is CTE?
Several symptoms of CTE are difficulty thinking, cognitive impairment, impulsive behavior, depression, apathy, short-term memory loss, difficulty planning, emotional instability, substance misuse and suicidal thoughts. Experts in the field are still trying to understand the effects of CTE on the brain and changes take a while to appear sometimes years later from the trauma.
Allison Hope, neighbor, who helped police had this to say about the late football star, “This is something I cannot grasp yet. I can’t put it all together and I’m trying to, and I witnessed it.” Hope continued, “I Feel bad for [Phillip Adams] because if it was mental or something going on in his life…he needed help, and that’s the sad part.”
Update: The York County Coroner’s Office on Friday announced Phillip Adam’s brain would be tested for signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
Maybe this will provide some answers regarding this heart-breaking tragedy and some closure to both families.
