Crime

The man who slaughtered 5 people Wednesday -- including 2 children -- at a home in South Carolina has been identified as former NFL player Phillip Adams, according to reports.

Officials believe 32-year-old Adams -- a 7th-round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft -- stormed a home in Rock Hill, SC on Wednesday afternoon and shot 5 people to death.

The victims have been identified as 70-year-old Dr. Robert Lesslie, his 69-year-old wife, Barbara Lesslie -- and their grandchildren, 9-year-old Adah Lesslie and 5-year-old Noah Lesslie.

A 5th victim, 38-year-old James Lewis, was working at the home when the gunman opened fire, killing him.

A 6th person was shot -- but that person survived and is being treated at a nearby hospital.

A furious manhunt was underway for the gunman.

But, the case took another dark twist on Thursday morning ... when sources say officials found the body of Phillip Adams, who appeared to have taken his own life around midnight Thursday morning, by way of gunshot.

According to the reports, there was a prior connection between Adams and the victims -- the football player's parents live in the area and Phillip had reportedly been previously treated by Dr. Robert Lesslie.

Adams was a star defensive back at South Carolina State in the late 2000s before being drafted by the 49ers in 2010.

He bounced around to the New England Patriots and Oakland Raiders -- playing in 52 NFL games before his NFL career ended following the 2013 season.

Deshaun Watson's attorney, Rusty Hardin, is going on the attack again on behalf of his client ... saying the NFL star never forced anyone to engage in an act against their will.

"Deshaun did not force, coerce or intimidate anyone to do anything against their will," Hardin said Thursday in a new statement.

Hardin once again went after attorney Tony Buzbee -- who's representing all 22 women who have filed lawsuits against Watson.

All of the women filed their suits using the pseudonym "Jane Doe," and only two of the women have come out and since identified themselves publicly. Hardin says that's not good enough.

"Mr. Buzbee’s use of anonymous lawsuits violates Texas law and the basic concept of fairness," Hardin said.

"It is clear that, for Mr. Buzbee, this case has never been about seeking justice in a courtroom, but destroying Deshaun’s reputation to enhance his own public profile and enrich himself."

Hardin continued, "While I understand that anonymity often is used as a shield for victims, Mr. Buzbee is using it as a sword. While shielding his clients from public scrutiny, Mr. Buzbee continues to use their anonymous allegations to destroy Mr. Watson."

"This is simply not right. And we look forward to resolving these matters in court."

Watson and his camp have repeatedly denied the allegations in the lawsuits -- insisting the women are lying in an attempt to force a payout.

"The Powerpuff Girls" have grown up ... and their sugar, spice and everything nice no longer comes in cartoon form.

The 3 leads of the upcoming live-action series -- Chloe Bennet, Dove Cameron, and Yana Perrault -- were filming the pilot Wednesday in Atlanta ... along with former "Scrubs" star, Donald Faison, who plays their creator/father, Professor Utonium.

It's the first look at the 'PPG' stars in their full, colorful costumes ... with Bennet in pink playing Blossom, Cameron in blue as Bubbles, and Perrault in the green playing Buttercup.

At one point during the shooting of an action scene, Blossom went flying through the air as the other Girls ran past her.

Looks like they all have the Chemical X factor.

The CW is hoping to relaunch the popular Cartoon Network animated series from the late '90s, with the new version picking up with the titular superheroes as "disillusioned twenty-somethings who resent having lost their childhood to crime-fighting."

The rank and file within the Capitol Police are not feeling very reassured following last week's car-ramming attack that left one of their own dead -- and the reasons are startling.

Sources familiar with the day-to-day goings-on at the department tell TMZ ... there's been little to no communication from leadership over an action plan to help prevent this from happening again, which has left a lot of their officers fearing for their safety.

Fact is ... we're being told there simply hasn't been any type of formal gathering to specifically address the tactical breakdown that cost Officer William Evans his life Friday, when authorities say Noah Green slammed his car into a barricade outside the Capitol, and proceeded to try and slash the cops ... before ultimately being shot and killed.

Speaking of that, our sources say the positioning of officers that day has been called into question by lower-ranking members of the department -- namely, that the officers were stationed outside of the delta barrier, as opposed to inside, which is much more strategic and safer all around.

We're hearing officers who have been assigned to stand guard since Friday have now been pulled inside the barrier, but this change was not talked about at large ... just more evidence of what our sources say is the hush-hush nature of upper management.

Our sources say nothing else has been communicated regarding the attack other than what was discussed at a roll call meeting on Saturday -- where we're told a deputy chief provided a general apology for Friday's disaster, and told the 60 officers that day to "keep an eye out" going forward. A hands-off approach like that isn't cutting it for many of the ground -- contributing to an already growing sense of unease and a desire to book it for good.

Ralo may soon benefit from a clemency program currently in the works under the Biden administration ... according to activist Weldon Angelos, who's been pushing for the rapper's freedom.

Weldon, a cannabis and clemency advocate, joined "TMZ Live" Tuesday, and said the White House reached out to him about a clemency program it's putting together that would primarily focus on cases with harsh sentences for non-violent marijuana offenses.

Ralo -- whose real name is Terrell Davis -- could become a primary beneficiary of the program, if it comes to fruition. The rapper was busted in 2018 with 444 pounds of weed on a private plane. He's been locked up ever since ... and faces up to 8 years in prison on conspiracy charges.

Weldon's been actively calling on the powers that be to grant the rapper clemency, given the laws on weed have changed exponentially over the last decade. It's now legal, in some form, in more than half the states ... although it's still illegal federally.

And, Weldon's main point is this ... Ralo's being punished "for violating the same federal statute many entrepreneurs and corporations violate every day in 36 states across the country, who are not subject to federal prosecution."

Drake, 2 Chainz, T.I. and Killer Mike are others joining Weldon's push as well. In fact ... they all attached their name to a letter Weldon sent to the Biden admin asking for clemency.

Weldon's been exactly where Ralo is -- he got a 55-year sentence in 2004 for $900 of ganja, but President Obama granted him clemency in 2016. He's crossing his fingers Biden will do the same for Ralo and many others.

The man who rammed into Capitol police and attempted to slice them with a knife, bought that weapon just hours before the fatal incident ... suggesting he premeditated the whole attack.

TMZ has obtained shots of Noah Green in a D.C. kitchen appliance store 90 minutes before authorities say he drove his car into a barricade at the Capitol last week and proceeded to get shot and killed after getting out to attack officers with a knife.

Green was in District Cutlery -- about a 10-minute drive from the Capitol -- and he purchased the blade you see here. We're told it's a Kurosaki Shizuku Sujihiki 270mm SG2 knife, and it retails for about $300.

You can see the knife he purchased at the store looks identical to the one police recovered at the scene after Green was gunned down, and a Capitol Police officer was killed.

Eyewitnesses say Green was calm and collected during his purchase, and didn't seem to raise any red flags to bystanders.

"My name is Ashley Solis. Remember that name."

You're looking at the very first woman who filed a sexual misconduct lawsuit against NFL star Deshaun Watson -- who just revealed her identity at an emotional news conference in Texas.

Solis -- formerly known as Jane Doe #1 -- claims Watson acted inappropriately during a massage therapy session at her home in March 2020.

She had filed the lawsuit under an alias due to the fear of a public backlash -- but says she feels empowered to go public and tell her story herself.

With attorney Tony Buzbee by her side, Solis said Monday, "I'm not afraid anymore. I'm here to take back the power, take back control."

"I'm a survivor of assault and harassment. Deshaun Watson is my assaulter and my harasser," she continued.

"I replay the incident over and over in my head as if I'm trying to wake up for some horrible nightmare -- only that nightmare is real."

Solis says she's still dealing with lingering trauma from the incident -- including the shakes -- which prevents her from properly doing her job.

"I hope [Watson] knows how much pain he's inflicted on me physically and emotionally," Solis says.

She explained her father -- "once a diehard Texans fan -- "can no longer say his name without turning red."

Solis says, "We were all deceived into thinking Deshaun Watson was a good guy."

"I will not let Deshaun Watson define who I am. I will not let him win. He needs to be held accountable for his actions."

During the news conference, Buzbee also revealed the identity of another Watson accuser who had been using an alias -- Lauren Baxley.

Baxley did not attend the news conference in person, but wrote a strong letter to the QB which was read out loud to the media.

"Every boundary, from professional and therapeutic to sexual and degrading, you crossed or attempted to cross," Baxley wrote about her alleged encounter with Watson,

For his part, Watson has denied all allegations of wrongdoing and says he has rejected settlement demands from the early accusers.

Watson also issued a statement from 18 female massage therapists who say he's a respectful client who never put them in an uncomfortable situation.

22 women in total have lawsuits against Watson -- all of them using an alias. Solis is the only person to reveal her identity to the public so far.

Buzbee says Solis and one other accuser have spoken with police -- though he did not specify which agency she contacted.

Minnesota Vikings cornerback Jeff Gladney -- the 31st overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft -- was arrested Monday for an alleged domestic violence incident, police confirm.

The Dallas Police Dept. says 24-year-old Gladney is accused of getting physical with a 22-year-old woman during an April 2 argument over "content in a cell phone."

Cops tell TMZ Sports, "The altercation escalated, at which time Mr. Gladney physically assaulted the victim. Mr. Gladney left the location prior to officers’ arrival."

A warrant was issued for Gladney's arrest for "Assault – Family Violence."

According to an arrest affidavit obtained by CBS 11 News, the woman told police Gladney freaked out over something on her phone ... and at one point he tried shoving her face close to the screen to trigger the FaceID feature to unlock the phone.

The accuser claims Gladney escalated the violence ... hitting her with "closed fists causing pain in the side of her ribs, in the stomach and the back, and hitting her open hand across the head."

The woman says the violence continued at a nearby Dallas apartment complex -- where Gladney allegedly "began strangling [her] by the neck, which impeded her breathing for approximately five seconds."

After that, she told cops Gladney "grabbed [her] by her hair while the vehicle was still moving and dragged [her] across the ground."

The woman told officers she somehow escaped and ran into a nearby vehicle, despite the fact she didn't know anyone inside the car.

According to the affidavit, the responding officer noticed injuries to her head, ears and torso.

Cops say Gladney turned himself in to authorities on Monday, April 5 -- and he was booked at the Dallas County Jail where he posed for a mug shot and bonded out a short time later.

Bassnectar knowingly had sex with underage girls, paid them money for sex, and kept tight control over their lives in order to keep it all a secret ... so 2 women claim in a shocking new lawsuit.

The popular EDM DJ is being sued for sex trafficking and possessing child pornography by 2 women -- Rachel and Alexis -- who claim he groomed them into having a sexual relationship when they were minors ... starting in 2012.

According to the legal docs ... Bassnectar first contacted the girls via direct message on social media to start a relationship. Both women claim he encouraged them to watch the film "American Beauty" -- described as "a movie about an older man having a relationship with a young girl" -- and even referenced the theme of the film at his shows.

Bassnectar allegedly learned the girls were underage through the DM before he sent them tickets to his shows ... and then the women claim he invited them back to his hotel room for sex ... which he allegedly "mandated be without the use of a condom."

According to the docs ... the DJ paid the girls for sex in amounts ranging from $300 to $1,600, and is accused of maintaining control over their lives while directing them to keep their relationship secret.

Rachel claims she was first contacted by Bassnectar in late 2012 and began having sex with him in May 2013 when she was underage. She says he also solicited her to "take and send sexually explicit photographs of herself while naked."

Alexis claims she was contacted by Bassnectar in 2014 and he had sex with her on numerous occasions between 2014 and 2016, when she was underage.

The women are suing for damages, past and future emotional distress as well as medical expenses.

Kodak Black and his entourage were ambushed outside a fast food joint in Florida, and the shooting left one of his security guards in serious condition ... according to police.

Gunfire erupted around 3 AM Monday morning in the parking lot of a McDonald's in Tallahassee. Law enforcement tells us the shooter opened fire from a car that was tailing Kodak and co.

Law enforcement sources say the rapper's entourage was being followed by several cars attempting to cut them off as they left a nightclub, and Kodak's camp pulled into the McDonald's and blocked the entrance with a car while KB went inside to pick up an order.

We’re told one of the cars tailing Kodak went to the McDonald's, left and then came back ... and that's when people inside the vehicle started shooting.

Kodak's security guard was shot in the leg and rushed to a local hospital with serious injuries, police say, while Kodak was whisked away in an armored car and was unharmed.

Kodak was in town headlining a Sunday music festival, Cultur3 Fest, and the security guard is reportedly undergoing surgery after one of the shots apparently hit an artery.

Rihanna's rallying behind the Asian-American community ... lending her voice -- not to mention her fashion and dancing skills -- at the #StopAsianHate march.

Riri hit up the march Sunday with her assistant, Tina Truong, and joined forces with a throng of supporters holding signs ... as drivers passing by honked in support. One of the signs Rihanna carried read, "Hate = Racism Against God' and another read, "#StopAsianHate."

Rihanna didn't just show up. She was hands-on ... making the sign herself and holding it proudly. As she walked the street ... she vibed with fellow marchers and danced along the way.

Fact is ... It's pretty hard to tell it's Rihanna. She's wearing braids, a hat, sunglasses and a mask. One of the marchers asked for her Instagram ... not realizing he was talking to the Caribbean Queen!

All in all ... a great event to stem violence against the Asian community.

A woman in Memphis made it clear -- she's having it her way or else -- and when she didn't get what she wanted, she unloaded a couple rounds inside the fast-food joint.

Cops say the suspect was beefing with employees because she felt she was waiting too long at the drive-thru. She got out of her car and the argument got more intense.

It escalated further, turning violent when she grabbed a gun from her car and, according to cops, fired shots through the window ... sending employees scurrying in terror as they fled through the back door. Thankfully no employees were hurt.

The woman was brazen ... staring right into the surveillance cam right before she unloaded her gun.

According to cops ... the suspect got back in her car and sped off with a man behind the wheel. No arrests have been made but cops are on the hunt.

R. Kelly was present during the Isley Brothers' musical showdown with Earth, Wind & Fire -- or he was in spirit anyway, because the disgraced singer's music was part of the IB's set.

Ron and Ernie Isley faced off against three members of EW&F Sunday night in a highly anticipated "Verzuz" battle -- with none other than Steve Harvey hosting in an extravagant Easter getup.

Everything was moving along smoothly, with each group taking turns back and forth to perform some of their greatest hits. It was great ... that is, until Ron and Ernie decided to start crooning some of their later tracks from the 2000s, including some R. Kelly tracks he either produced/wrote or was featured in, like "Contagious" and "Busted."

They did "Contagious" first ... which a lot of folks watching from home were NOT happy about. Thankfully, the duo had the wisdom not to include R. Kelly's featured verse, which is sprinkled in toward the end. Still, the guy wrote and produced the whole thing.

Ditto for "Busted," which didn't feature R. Kelly's vocals directly ... but was also written and produced by the guy. Fans felt it wasn't a good look ... for obvious reasons.

Remember, R. Kelly is currently in prison awaiting trial on several different criminal charges -- both federal and state ... which involve sexual assault, sexual trafficking, abuse of a minor, racketeering, obstruction of justice and more. He's pled not guilty to all of the charges.

It's clear he doesn't have much goodwill left among music lovers, past or present -- the only question ... do the Isleys care??? They seemed pretty comfy up there with the Kels tracks.

Shawn Mendes is reunited with his baby, and we don't mean Camila Cabello -- his luxury SUV is back at home, but cops are still searching for whoever jacked it.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the singer's stolen G-Wagon was recovered earlier this week in Bev Hills, and was returned to him in surprisingly good condition considering the circumstances.

We're told the vehicle was found parked on a residential street -- neither trashed nor thrashed -- and once cops ran the plates, they confirmed it was Shawn's.

We broke the story ... Shawn and Camila were at home last week in L.A. when suspects broke a window and entered the place. They took off quickly when they realized the couple was there, but not before snagging Shawn's keys and fleeing in his SUV.

This is an interesting traffic stop, where a 20-year-old guy was pulled over by a cop, ordered out of his car, handcuffed with a gun pointed at his head ... sounds outrageous, but there's a pretty good explanation.

Noah West was driving in Summerville, South Carolina without his headlights on at around 10:30 PM when the cop spotted him and pulled him over.

The first part of the video seems troublesome ... why treat a guy with a minor infraction like a hardened criminal? The officer even calls it a "felony traffic stop."

Here's the thing ... there was a violent incident that went down nearby, where someone shot up a house and cops were on the hunt for the perp. The cop saw a guy driving without lights in the dark and that was enough to arouse suspicion.

The officer is firm but polite as he asked the driver if he was carrying any weapons. The cop explained the situation to the driver and his mom, who was nearby, asking her, "You good with that?" She said she was not, but seemed to understand.

Noah said afterward, "I feared for my life. I stayed calm and was so polite to the police."  The officer said it was a case of someone being at "the wrong place at the wrong time," telling Noah, "sorry to scare you, it happens."

Lori Loughlin's husband, Mossimo Giannulli, has been sprung from prison early as the dust settles on the college admission scandal -- the only question now ... is he at home, or is he holed up in a halfway house?

Federal prison records show that Mossimo is, indeed, now "located" at a facility called RRM Long Beach -- which is a residential reentry management field office that oversees inmates transitioning back to public life.

RRMLB itself does NOT appear to be a halfway house, but it does regulate inmates who stay at halfway houses. It's also where inmates released to home confinement have to check in routinely until their actual release date -- per our law enforcement sources. In Mossimo's case, that won't be until April 17. In other words, this place is literally just an office ... not where he'll be staying.

So that raises this pickle ... if Mossimo isn't behind bars anymore, where the heck is he? It's possible he could be staying at a halfway house nearby until his deadline -- it's also just as feasible he's been sent home to serve out the remaining days of his 5-month sentence.

Remember, Mossimo was doing his time at FCI Lompoc, which is just outside Santa Barbara -- about a two-hour drive north of L.A. He checked himself in back in November, sporting a new bald look -- which had all the markings of a tough guy heading to the pokey.

MG got the stiffer sentence between him and Lori for their roles in the admissions scheme -- having paid Rick Singer upwards of $500k to help get their daughters into USC ... under elaborate and false pretenses, of course. After initially pleading not guilty, the couple eventually caved ... and copped a plea deal as pressure from prosecutors mounted.

Lori ended up getting just a couple months behind bars, and served a majority of that time ... getting released in December, just 2 days shy of her official release date. Mossimo, however, got three more months on top of that, and has been dealing with COVID/solitary issues.

You'll recall ... Lori was brought home in a jet -- but we wouldn't expect Mossimo to get the same treatment. He's in L.A. County, and it wouldn't make too much sense to fly him back to their home in Hidden Hills. Lori was coming all the way from the Bay Area, so flying her in (private, no less) was definitely the move.

Still, nothing says "Daddy's home!" like wheels up, we suppose.