Fatalities and Injuries from Two Shootings in the US

Two shootings have taken place in the United States that have claimed the lives of several people. A former professional football player committed a massacre in the state of South Carolina on Wednesday, and an employee opened fire in a furniture store in Texas on Thursday.

 

The South Carolina suspect is Phillip Adams, 32 years old. He retired as a pro in the NFL six years ago. Police say he killed five people, three adults and two children. Then he took his own life. The police have no idea yet what the motive for his act is.

According to authorities, the victims are a doctor, his wife, two of his grandchildren and a man who may or may not be present in the house. Adams then went to his own house, where he shot himself in the head. For the time being, the police do not indicate that Adams knew the doctor or his family.

Adams played in the NFL for six years, most recently with the Atlanta Falcons. His father, Alonzo Adams, said his son likely suffered the consequences of that career. “All I can say is that he’s a good kid. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t do this.” There is a lot of research into brain injuries that players can suffer from their sports career, including in American football.

The shooting in Bryan, Texas, killed one person and wounded four people by bullets. A fifth person has also been taken to the hospital for a suspected asthma attack. According to a police spokesman, many people were present in the furniture store when the fire was opened. The shooter has been arrested.

The two incidents are the latest in a series of deadly shootings that have ravaged the country recently. For example, eight people were killed in Atlanta, Georgia, on March 16. Less than a week later, ten people were killed when a man started shooting at a supermarket in Boulder, Colorado. And last week, four people, including a 9-year-old boy, were killed in Orange, California.

President Joe Biden announced a series of measures on Thursday to tackle gun violence in his country. He called gun violence in the United States a “must stop” epidemic and an international shame. Among other things, Biden wants a ban on assault weapons for private individuals. Such a rifle is, for example, the Kalashnikov (AK-47).