World enews: Phillip Adams: Ex-NFL player had stage two CTE brain trauma when he shot six and turned gun on himself

Doctors say ex-NFL player Phillip Adams had stage two CTE brain injuries when he shot six people dead before turning the gun on himself.

His case of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, was unusually severe, with doctors comparing it to that of Aaron Hernandez.

Adams played the league for 20 years and, according to his family, was “desperately seeking help from the NFL, but was denied all claims.”

His family agreed shortly after his death to have his brain tested for CTE, a degenerative disease linked to head trauma and concussions that has been shown to cause a range of symptoms, including violent mood swings and memory loss.

On 7 April, Adams killed Rock Hill, South Carolina physician Robert Lesslie; his wife, Barbara; two of their grandchildren, 9-year-old Adah Lesslie and 5-year-old Noah Lesslie; and two HVAC technicians working at the Lesslie home, James Lewis and Robert Shook, both 38. Police later found Adams with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

CTE, which can only be diagnosed through an autopsy, has been found in former members of the military, football players, boxers, and others who have been subjected to repeated head trauma. One recent study found signs of the debilitating disease in 110 of 111 NFL players whose brains were inspected.

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