Phillip Adams, a former NFL player accused of killing six people in a mass shooting in Rock Hill before taking his own life in early April, showed signs of severe brain damage caused by CTE, a researcher from Boston University said Tuesday.

Dr. Ann McKee, a neuropathologist and expert on neurogenerative diseases at Boston University, said Adams had severe CTE in both frontal lobes of his brain. Dr. Sabrina Gast, the York County coroner, said Adams' family told officials he had complained of excruciating pain, memory issues and difficulty sleeping late in life.

"His 20year career put him at high risk for development of CTE," McKee, who conducted the study on Adams' brain, said. "It's a progressive disease that worsens with age. In many instances, it is a disease of the young."

Police say Adams shot and killed Robert Lesslie, 70, his wife Barbara Lesslie, 69, and two of their grandchildren, Adah, 9, and Noah, 5, as well as two HVAC workers, James Lewis, 38, and Robert Shook, 38 on April 7 in Rock Hill.

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