Unspeakable tragedy: former NFL player kills 5, ends his life

Shocking news from the United States. Former National Football League (NFL) player Phillip Adams, age 32, has taken his own life after allegedly committing a multiple homicide. Five people died from shot wounds of a .45-calibre pistol, two of whom were minors.

The homicide took place on Wednesday, April 7,  in Rock Hill, South Carolina, and the athlete took his life on Thursday, April 8 when police confronted him. They had surrounded him at his parents' home.

The York County sheriff's office reported the death of the suspect in the massacre on Thursday. His parents' house is close to where the shooting had taken place the day before.

There were five victims but they could have been more, as a sixth person sustained a "serious gunshot wound," the authorities declared. The victim had been taken to a nearby hospital. York County Sheriff Kevin Tolson said the wounded person is "in critical condition."

The names of the people killed in the shooting have been confirmed. They were Dr. Robert Lesslie (70 years old), his wife Barbara Leslie (69 years old) and James Lewis (38 years old), who was working at the Lesslie home when James Adams showed up by surprise.

Two of the Lesslies' grandchildren, Adah (9 years old) and Noah (5 years old), were also killed in the shooting. The former player allegedly fired up to 20 shots at the victims.

What was the cause of this massacre? For the moments, police reports link the former NFL player to Dr Lesslie because he had previously treated the athlete. In addition, the family lived close to the home of the suspect's parents.

York County Sheriff Tolson stressed during his press conference that there is no evidence of a current or recent patient-doctor relationship between Phillip Adams and Dr. Lesslie.

Kevin Tolson said that the authorities are still searching for the motive that led Phillip Adams to commit such an atrocity. "Nothing about this makes sense right now."

Phillip Adams' father, in his statement to WCNC, said that his son "was a good kid." He added: "think the football messed him up."

Phillip Adams played a total of 78 games in the NFL during his five seasons in the competition. He came to the San Francisco 49ers in 2010 as a seventh-round draft pick from South Carolina State, where he was a highly sought-after defensive star.

The New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, Oakland Raiders and New York Jets were other top teams he joined, before ending his career in 2015 with the Falcons. His athletic career was marked by injuries. They were especially complicated ones, including damages to the hip, ankle, and head.

Read about Louis Nix III, fellow NFL veteran who passed away in February