SC - 5 dead, inc. Dr Robert Lesslie & 2 children in shooting, Rock Hill, Apr 2021

[stmarysmead]

Did his family know about the cache of guns? Or did he sneak them into his parents house when he moved in?

This is a really important point. Although I have sympathy for this family, if they knew that he had these weapons, saw them in the room he was using, and watched as his appearance and attitude deteriorated, as the sister reported...they needed to intervene. I believe the Mother of one of the Colorado high school shooters...continued to let him acquire weapons while she saw his mental decline.

As for the ‘cryptic’ writings, I’m suspicious whenever our media loosely reports something of this nature. Let’s have an example...which the media is happy to provide when they are pushing a narrative....or when the “cryptic writings” fit a popular narrative of theirs. Then they are touted and repeatedly used by the Media...but not as signs of a deteriorated mental state

We all know this now.

We know how certain killers are just evil according to the media and other killers are treated differently...like they are sad victims too.

Are these writings truly “cryptic” in the true sense of the word or is that just a word chosen to add to the idea that this killer was just insane and not really a bad guy, and it’s all the fault of the NFL or anyone but poor him.

Our media has very selective empathy and very specific qualifiers for outrage.

 

[fred&edna]

The "cryptic writing" could be a sign of late-onset schizophrenia, instead of a religion. People with paranoid schizophrenia can keep diaries with invented symbols. It is a part of their descent into unreality... Paranoid schizophrenics can be violent, and project paranoid fantasies onto unsuspecting individuals. At age 32, Adams could be a candidate for this condition. Left untreated, Adams could have had paranoid thoughts about his neighbors that developed into homicidal violence.

'Some sort of mental illness is possible but why these neighbors, why that day... just happenstance? I think there's more to be learned.

 

[GoBuckeyes]

This is a really important point. Although I have sympathy for this family, if they knew that he had these weapons, saw them in the room he was using, and watched as his appearance and attitude deteriorated, as the sister reported...they needed to intervene. I believe the Mother of one of the Colorado high school shooters...continued to let him acquire weapons while she saw his mental decline.

As for the ‘cryptic’ writings, I’m suspicious whenever our media loosely reports something of this nature. Let’s have an example...which the media is happy to provide when they are pushing a narrative....or when the “cryptic writings” fit a popular narrative of theirs. Then they are touted and repeatedly used by the Media...but not as signs of a deteriorated mental state

We all know this now.

We know how certain killers are just evil according to the media and other killers are treated differently...like they are sad victims too.

Are these writings truly “cryptic” in the true sense of the word or is that just a word chosen to add to the idea that this killer was just insane and not really a bad guy, and it’s all the fault of the NFL or anyone but poor him.

Our media has very selective empathy and very specific qualifiers for outrage.

Perfectly stated!!!!!! Like x1mil^nth

 

[GoBuckeyes]

But then why kill two working men? He had had advantages in life that they never had....talent, large income, a modicum of fame, and even admiration from complete strangers.

Neither of them had ever been a hometown celebrity. One of them was a single Dad struggling to provide a living and a family life for his children. When times got tough, what did he do...he went back to school. Balanced child-rearing, a full-time job and night school as well...only to be shot over and over because this former pro athlete couldn’t stoop to doing something similar. Instead of stewing and building a rage against certain neighbors, why didn’t he find a job, any job...and then put himself through school? Was he too above that, too proud, too privileged?

Instead he went back to live off his elderly parents, and brag to locals how he was going to underwrite some big charitable outreach like the billionaires do. All vanity and puffery...while the men really worthy of the utmost respect and grief...died in the dirt where he left them.

Just to clarify, what I wrote previously and have researched about his playing career, I meant as just the opposite of a football related excuse or any excuse for his behavior. He played long enough to make over 3 mil in 6 seasons. He was mediocre, and a lack of talent, rather than injuries, ended his career imo. I'm not saying he wasn't talented. But corners have to be incredibly fast, athletic, agile, and it's my opinion that he just couldn't hang anymore.

He was drafted in 2010. He had 5 years to do something with his life post-football, and THIS is what he did??

Lots of former players go on to coach. He might have had to start out smaller than he wanted, at a Div II school, but I'm sure he had plenty of opportunities to do countless good and live a productive life.

 

[GoBuckeyes]

This is a really important point. Although I have sympathy for this family, if they knew that he had these weapons, saw them in the room he was using, and watched as his appearance and attitude deteriorated, as the sister reported...they needed to intervene. I believe the Mother of one of the Colorado high school shooters...continued to let him acquire weapons while she saw his mental decline.

As for the ‘cryptic’ writings, I’m suspicious whenever our media loosely reports something of this nature. Let’s have an example...which the media is happy to provide when they are pushing a narrative....or when the “cryptic writings” fit a popular narrative of theirs. Then they are touted and repeatedly used by the Media...but not as signs of a deteriorated mental state

We all know this now.

We know how certain killers are just evil according to the media and other killers are treated differently...like they are sad victims too.

Are these writings truly “cryptic” in the true sense of the word or is that just a word chosen to add to the idea that this killer was just insane and not really a bad guy, and it’s all the fault of the NFL or anyone but poor him.

Our media has very selective empathy and very specific qualifiers for outrage.

This is one of the best posts I've seen on WS ever!

Excellent, and bravo for having the courage to state was so many of us see and feel going on all around us, in media, in big tech, and in far too many apps and websites, outright censorship has and continues to shape a false narrative in which the "victim" and "criminal" labels are applied in an utterly absurd manner.

 

[GoBuckeyes]

'Some sort of mental illness is possible but why these neighbors, why that day... just happenstance? I think there's more to be learned.

And if robbery was the only motive, he sure didn't need to take those 2 guns. A .45 is a frequent choice for concealed carry and home defense because it can definitely stop a threat in a hurry. It seems like the robbery was an afterthought, and killing was the main objective. Anyone know how many magazines he took with him?

I'm a firm supporter of the 2nd Amendment. I'm also just as firmly in support of responsible gun ownership. In my opinion, it's the responsibility of the home owner as much as the gun owner to make sure that everyone living in the home who is in possession of a weapon of any kind is of sound mind. Tommy guns aren't small. I'm wondering if they were aware of his stockpile?

As millennials seem more and more attached to the nest, this situation is happening more often. The home owner may not be the gun owner, but imo, the home owner is responsible for what goes on under their roof. That's much easier to control when the son or daughter is 14 rather than 30 or 35.

I've had to put off visiting a friend for a while because he refuses to ask his abusive, almost 29 year-old millennial to leave, saying he'll leave eventually. (Why would he? He pays no rent. Doesn't contribute in any way.) And the last time I was over to visit, the almost 29 year-old proudly showed off his new handgun. That's when I said, I'll be back over when he or the gun has moved out of the nest. AMOO

 

[Cryptic]

Lots of former players go on to coach. He might have had to start out smaller than he wanted, at a Div II school, but I'm sure he had plenty of opportunities to do countless good and live a productive life.

Maybe his reputation as a somewhat enigmatic loner and his arrest history him just enough of as SCIDIV relates "a character" to make prospective employers pause?

My guess is that it could well of been the personality more than the arrest record. As was mentioned on the forum, NFL teams and school teams of all sizes want to win- badly. Thus, an engaging personality with a few rough edges who promised past mistakes would not be repeated could well be a "go".

 

[GoBuckeyes]

@GoBuckeyes sbm bbm I had no idea.
Someone playing for 20 yrs, living very modestly on his average $600,000/yr (less inc. taxes, etc), and stuffing the piggybank, IRAs, etc along the way, could retire, then conceivably coast w'out further employment til reaching Soc Sec yrs. Plus some NFL retirement $? Admittedly, it likely would burn thru a lot of his principal, but still. Guessing not many pro-players have that long term mindset.
Anyway that was not Adams' life, an entirely different, sad trajectory, but not nearly as tragic as the six lives lost prematurely at his hands. Man, oh, man. my2ct.

Do you have any links to articles in which his formative years are described? All I know is that his Mom had been a teacher in the district that the two murdered children now attended, and that he was a graduate of the same district. I don't think his Mom is currently teaching. I'm curious to know more about his Dad and sister. Thanks in advance.

 

[GoBuckeyes]

Maybe his reputation as a somewhat enigmatic loner and his arrest history him just enough of as SCIDIV relates "a character" to make prospective employers pause?

My guess is that it could well of been the personality more than the arrest record. As was mentioned on the forum, NFL teams and school teams of all sizes want to win- badly. Thus, an engaging personality with a few rough edges who promised past mistakes would not be repeated could well be a "go".

That's true. Personality is everything with coaching/recruiting.

So, coaching might not have been a viable option, but certainly he could have, with proper counseling and support, gone out and gotten a job.

 

[al66pine]

Do you have any links to articles in which his formative years are described? All I know is that his Mom had been a teacher in the district that the two murdered children now attended, and that he was a graduate of the same district. I don't think his Mom is currently teaching. I'm curious to know more about his Dad and sister. Thanks in advance.

@GoBuckeyes bbm Sorry, I don't recall anything except mention of his playing football in high school.

 

[MimosaMornings]

That's true. Personality is everything with coaching/recruiting.

So, coaching might not have been a viable option, but certainly he could have, with proper counseling and support, gone out and gotten a job.

His former agent offered to get him hooked up with a job but he didn’t want to leave SC because of his son. Although if he had continued with football he would have been working out of state too?
Wonder how often he saw his son?
If he didn’t want to work except in football - why didn’t he volunteer?
A summer camp for kids?

And why did he feel the need for a cache of guns? Protection? Or wanted something to flash around?

 

[GoBuckeyes]

His former agent offered to get him hooked up with a job but he didn’t want to leave SC because of his son. Although if he had continued with football he would have been working out of state too?
Wonder how often he saw his son?
If he didn’t want to work except in football - why didn’t he volunteer?
A summer camp for kids?

And why did he feel the need for a cache of guns? Protection? Or wanted something to flash around?

Great questions! And, yes, youth football camps are a great way to give back to the community, all while networking with parents and others in the sport, and it's sure not bad for PR either.

 

[GoBuckeyes]

@GoBuckeyes bbm Sorry, I don't recall anything except mention of his playing football in high school.

I recall reading where he played college ball, but it escapes me at the moment. It seems he may have played at two different colleges, iirc.

 

[GoBuckeyes]

I recall reading where he played college ball, but it escapes me at the moment. It seems he may have played at two different colleges, iirc.

@al66pine
Now I remember what I wanted to ask you. When you wrote of his "sad trajectory," were you referring to anything specifically that happened to him in life, or just the awful end to it? I was probably reading more into your statement than I should have been. (We always hear about what a rough life the criminal had. Rephrase, we're programmed to expect to hear that when a particular narrative is being pushed.) I was thinking maybe there was a bunch of tragedy or abuse that I just missed reading. TIA

 

[oceanblueeyes]

I have pity for Adams' family also. I do wish the father or media, whichever the case, wouldn't have led with comments/excuses about him "never being right after football," insinuating CTE. MOO, the time to defend his son was after a statement containing sincere and heartfelt condolences to the victims' families.

Maybe he stated those condolences and the media focused on what he said after about his son and football. Who knows with the media anymore? Or, perhaps, because no one is afforded any privacy or dignity, media caught him off guard. Maybe in a moment of terrible grief and trying to make sense of what had happened, he made the football comments. Eithet way, I'm certain he feels horrible for the victims and their families. It's just a shame that people often need to hire a family spokesperson to be given a moment to grieve.

The 80 year-old is fortunate that he wasn't shot dead too. Good grief! Adams just shot everyone he came upon?! Did he really think no one was going to have security cams? This is awful! I didn't realize the 2nd worker passed. Is there an article that gives details on him? These poor people were just going about their hard-working lives. It's truly horrendous.

Maybe this wasn't about Rx drugs, might it be about theft to obtain illicit drugs?

I don't know how others took what he said, but my heart broke for him. He seems to be a very sweet, kind, good man. He also knew the victims were also good people.

When anyone murders someone their own families... unless they were also involved ...are also victims.

I also understood him blaming it on his football career.

How many football players who have suffered concussions have gone on to commit mass murder of families they didn't even know, but most definitely targeted?

How many in total of all players past, and present have become murderers, and concussions were deemed to be the sole causation? Those who hadn't ever been in trouble before nor had ever shown any violence toward anyone during their entire lives?

I've experienced two concussions with one severe. It never changed my personality at all. Once I had healed from both life went on as before. The most severe I didn't slam into a helmet. I slammed into a concrete walkway when slipping on ice. It was a free fall with no time to break the full fall or impact.

Jmho

 

[al66pine]

@al66pine
Now I remember what I wanted to ask you. When you wrote of his "sad trajectory," were you referring to anything specifically that happened to him in life, or just the awful end to it? I was probably reading more into your statement than I should have been. (We always hear about what a rough life the criminal had. Rephrase, we're programmed to expect to hear that when a particular narrative is being pushed.) I was thinking maybe there was a bunch of tragedy or abuse that I just missed reading. TIA

@GoBuckeyes bbm I'm unaware of anything tragic earlier in his life.
Also unaware of positive aspects earlier, except for his college & pro football days/years. So I was referring to that nightmare ending of those six lives, along w his.
Wish I could be of more help.

 

[Cryptic]

And why did he feel the need for a cache of guns? Protection? Or wanted something to flash around?

Two of the weapons were a Tommy Gun and an MP-5. The motive (defense, flash around, or collector interest) may not be able to be determined with certainty.

But.... these are not weapons that are readily available for purchase at pawn shops, gun stores, or even area gun shows. Rather, they must be either special ordered or sought out. Both weapons are also expensive.

As a side note, both weapons have also seen a certain amount of movie time: Tommy gun in 1930s gangster movies and MP-5 in action adventure movies.

Due to the rarity and expense of the guns, I am speculating that there was probably another motive to their purchase besides purely defense. Whether it was flash, collectors interest, wanting something different, or say, a desire to complete an image, I have no idea.

 

[Marysmith]

I don't know how others took what he said, but my heart broke for him. He seems to be a very sweet, kind, good man. He also knew the victims were also good people.

When anyone murders someone their own families... unless they were also involved ...are also victims.

I also understood him blaming it on his football career.

How many football players who have suffered concussions have gone on to commit mass murder of families they didn't even know, but most definitely targeted?

How many in total of all players past, and present have become murderers, and concussions were deemed to be the sole causation? Those who hadn't ever been in trouble before nor had ever shown any violence toward anyone during their entire lives?

I've experienced two concussions with one severe. It never changed my personality at all. Once I had healed from both life went on as before. The most severe I didn't slam into a helmet. I slammed into a concrete walkway when slipping on ice. It was a free fall with no time to break the full fall or impact.

Jmho

Yes - you are right. I was harsh towards the father.
I do have a good friend who has had 2 bad concussions and though her personality hasn’t changed she has become very depressed and even suicidal.

 

[oceanblueeyes]

And if robbery was the only motive, he sure didn't need to take those 2 guns. A .45 is a frequent choice for concealed carry and home defense because it can definitely stop a threat in a hurry. It seems like the robbery was an afterthought, and killing was the main objective. Anyone know how many magazines he took with him?

I'm a firm supporter of the 2nd Amendment. I'm also just as firmly in support of responsible gun ownership. In my opinion, it's the responsibility of the home owner as much as the gun owner to make sure that everyone living in the home who is in possession of a weapon of any kind is of sound mind. Tommy guns aren't small. I'm wondering if they were aware of his stockpile?

As millennials seem more and more attached to the nest, this situation is happening more often. The home owner may not be the gun owner, but imo, the home owner is responsible for what goes on under their roof. That's much easier to control when the son or daughter is 14 rather than 30 or 35.

I've had to put off visiting a friend for a while because he refuses to ask his abusive, almost 29 year-old millennial to leave, saying he'll leave eventually. (Why would he? He pays no rent. Doesn't contribute in any way.) And the last time I was over to visit, the almost 29 year-old proudly showed off his new handgun. That's when I said, I'll be back over when he or the gun has moved out of the nest. AMOO

Great post! Thank you.

I really don't see any valid evidence he became a mass murderer years later due to concussions.

Why some evil murderers seem to be given excuses for inexcusable behavior, and others are not is mind boggling to me with the drastic shift I've seen.

Imo, What's even worse is often the tragic story he alone caused becomes way more about the offender, and far less about the victims. The victims just seem to fade away into the background as if they aren't the ones who mattered when they ARE the ones who do.

Honestly, I think he's just another injustice collector we've seen way too often. They often target victims they know to be good, and strike without warning. The type of violent offender that blames everyone else, but refuses to be personally responsible for their own life choices including mistakes. Those that plays the constant misplaced blame game yet ignores their own faults that puts them in the place they were in the first place before they decided to take innocent lives.

Jmho

 

[al66pine]

College Football?

I recall reading where he played college ball, but it escapes me at the moment. It seems he may have played at two different colleges, iirc.

@GoBuckeyes bbm
Briefly per this link* he played for only one college: SC St. U.

___________________________________________________
BTW FWIW Not directing this at you @GoBuckeyes, just jumping off your post.
Most posters here have better search skills than I do; w'out a doubt everyone has better instincts about sports-centric searches. When in doubt about how to start a search, I use Google, enter [topic phrases] + wiki.

Not so briefly, waaay more info than I understand or wanted to know but refers to only one college.
"Early life[edit]
"Adams was born on July 20, 1988, in Rock Hill, South Carolina.[1] He attended Rock Hill High School, where he played football and basketball.[2]
"College career[edit]
"Adams attended South Carolina State University from 2006 to 2009.[3] In his freshman year with the Bulldogs, Adams saw action as a backup and on special teams. He recorded 12 tackles and two interceptions, along with a 30-yard punt return. As a sophomore with the Bulldogs, he played in 11 games.[4]
"As a junior, Adams ranked sixth on the team (with 48 tackles) and led the team in interceptions (with five) and pass deflections (with nine). In his senior year, he was a First Team All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference selection after registering 48 tackles and three interceptions.[5] That year, he also scored a touchdown on a pick six against Norfolk State.[6]" bbm
* ^ Phillip Adams (American football) - Wikipedia