Former San Francisco 49ers player Phillip Adams, in this 2010 photo, has CTE, a degenerative brain disease. Authorities say he shot and killed six people earlier this year before killing himself.
Tom Gannam / AP
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Tom Gannam / AP
Former San Francisco 49ers player Phillip Adams, in this 2010 photo, has CTE, a degenerative brain disease. Authorities say he shot and killed six people earlier this year before killing himself.
Tom Gannam / AP
A former NFL player who shot and killed six people and then took his own life in April is suffering a serious medical condition from repeated head trauma, doctors announced Tuesday.
Boston University neurosurgeons say Phillip Adams has CTE – or chronic traumatic encephalopathy – a degenerative brain disease found in many former football players.
“Phillip Adams has a large number of CTE pathologies in the frontal lobe, the posterior prefrontal brain area. Frontal lobe lesions are associated with violent, impulsive or impulsive behavior, ‘frustration’ and a lack of self-control,” Dr. Ann McKee, director of the Boston University CTE Center, said in a statement.
“His CTE pathology may have contributed to his abnormal behaviors, in addition to other physical, mental, and psychosocial factors,” she added.
The murder earlier this year shocked rural South Carolina and raised questions about the former cornerback’s health. Authorities said on April 7, Adams went to Dr. Robert Lesslie’s home and shot him, his wife and their two grandchildren, ages 9 and 5. He also shoot dead two air conditioning technicians who worked at the property.
Adams, 32, later committed suicide during a skirmish with police at his parents’ home nearby.
Both families said the fact that Adams had CTE prior to the shooting brought solace to them.
“These eight months have been unbelievably difficult,” Lesslie’s family said in a statement. according to the Charlotte Observer. “Even with our hearts broken, we find solace in the CTE results and the explanations they give for the irrational behavior associated with this tragedy.”
The Adams family said in a statement that they remain grieving the killing and continue to pray for the victims. “We are delighted to learn more about the mental turmoil Phillip faced in his final moments of life,” the family said. “We cannot say we are surprised by these results, however it is shocking to learn how serious his condition is.”
CTE cannot be diagnosed during a person’s lifetime but only through examining their brain after they have passed away.
Doctors who studied Adams’ brain told him he had stage 2 CTE, which is the most common stage for soccer players to be diagnosed in their 30s. (They said CTE stage 4. is the most severe stage and is often associated with dementia).
Diseases is associated with mood swings and memory loss as well as aggression and impulsive behavior. The exact cause of CTE is unknown and there is no cure.
Some hockey players and especially American soccer players, who suffer blows to the head as part of the sport and sometimes concussions, have been shown to develop CTE development.
Aaron Hernandez, a former Patriot in New England who was convicted of murder in 2015 and then committed suicide, have CTE Doctors said the same severity as Adams.
Adams played football for 21 years, starting at age 7 and retiring from the NFL in 2016.
