The York County Sheriff's Office in South Carolina held a news conference Thursday afternoon to provide updates on their investigation into the Wednesday mass shooting that killed a doctor, his wife, their two grandchildren and a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) technician.
Sheriff Kevin Tolson detailed that authorities obtained a search warrant for the home of Alonzo Adams, Phillip Adams' father, after "evidence from the scene" in Rock Hill linked the NFL player to the crime.
Officers were then dispatched to the home, which was located "just down the road" from the scene of the crime, according to Tolson. The sheriff claimed responding authorities cleared others out of the home and attempted to have a conversation with 33-year-old via loudspeaker.
However, when officers entered the room, they found Adams dead, with a single gunshot wound to the head.
"We did not hear any gunshots," Tolson said.
The sheriff also asserted there was no indication that there was a doctor-patient relationship between the two, despite earlier reports stating otherwise.
"There's nothing about this right now that makes sense to any of us," Tolson concluded.
The murder victims have been identified as: 70-year-old Dr. Robert Leslie; 69-year-old Barbara Leslie; 9-year-old Adah Lesslie; 5-year-old Noah Lesslie and 39-year-old James Lewis.
Another HVAC technician was shot and taken to the hospital Wednesday and, as of Thursday afternoon, remains in critical condition.
Both a .45 caliber handgun and 9mm handgun were used in the deadly incident. There is currently no indication the weapons were illegally obtained, according to the York Sheriff's Office.
Alonzo Adams, told Charlotte outlet WCNC-TV that he believes his son's NFL-related injuries may have played in his changed behavior.
"I can say he’s a good kid — he was a good kid, and I think the football messed him up," he said. "He didn’t talk much and he didn’t bother nobody."
It's currently unclear if Adams, who suffered multiple concussions during his NFL career, suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, as the brain degeneration can only be identified after one is dead.
During the news conference, Sheriff Kevin Tolson described Dr. Lesslie as a "pillar of the community" and someone very well-known in the area.
