‘HE WAS STRUGGLING’

Sister of NFL Player Suspected in South Carolina Massacre: ‘Something Was Off’ About Him

Phillip Adams’ sister said the former NFL pro recently moved back with his parents in Rock Hill, where Wednesday’s massacre took place.

The family of former NFL pro Phillip Adams is coming to terms with the fact that he ended his life early Thursday after allegedly massacring five people people, including two young children, in his South Carolina hometown. His sister Lauren told USA Today that Phillip’s behavior had changed rapidly in recent years—he was never violent, she said, but he had become much more aggressive. “In conversations, it would escalate to arguments,’’ she said. “His temperament had changed where he was super laid-back forever and all of the sudden he had that temper. You could just tell that something was off.” She said that the family had noticed “extremely concerning” signs of mental illness, and that her brother had applied for disability benefits with the NFL, but he complained the league was “making it hard for him.” As his mental health deteriorated, she said, Adams moved back with his parents in Rock Hill, where Wednesday’s massacre took place. Lauren Adams concluded: “He wasn’t a monster. He was struggling with his mental health.”