ROCK HILL, S.C. — The father of a former Atlanta Falcons football player who killed six people and himself in a 2021 mass shooting filed a wrongful death lawsuit against his son’s university. Channel 2 Action New′s sister station WSOC-TV obtained a copy of the lawsuit on Tuesday.
In 2021, South Carolina police said Phillip Adams killed Dr. Robert Lesslie, a prominent South Carolina doctor, his wife, two of their grandchildren, and two HVAC technicians who were working at the home.
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Police found Adams’ body with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. WSOC-TV reported in Dec. 2021 that Adams was diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) after his death.
An autopsy revealed Adams had “unusually severe” CTE in both frontal lobes of his brain, the AP reported.
The CTE diagnosis is at the center of the lawsuit filed by Adams’ father Alonzo Adams against South Carolina State University. WSOC-TV reports that the lawsuit claims Adams sustained head trauma during his time with the football team from 2006 to 2009.
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Alonzo Adams accused the university of “negligence, carelessness, recklessness and willfulness” that led to his son’s chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and ultimately, his death.
The lawsuit also mentions Phillip Adams sustained head trauma during his NFL career from 2011 to 2015, which included his final season with the Atlanta Falcons.
WSOC-TV reports that Alonzo Adams is seeking an unspecified amount of damages. The station reached out to the university for comment and is waiting a response.
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