Rising college football player Corey Adams was fatally shot over the weekend in a late-night shooting that rocked a quiet residential neighborhood in Cordova, Tennessee.
The 18-year-old defensive end for the Ole Miss Rebels was found inside a vehicle around 10:14 p.m. on Saturday, July 19, according to the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies attempted life-saving measures at the scene, but Adams was later pronounced dead by the county fire department.
Officials say the gunfire broke out on Fern Glade Cove, where investigators discovered multiple shell casings. In addition to Adams, four other adult males—each with gunshot wounds—drove themselves to local hospitals. All four are expected to survive.
The motive behind the shooting is still unknown, and authorities are treating the case as a homicide investigation.
Ole Miss Football released a statement calling the loss “devastating.”
“While our program is trying to cope with this tragic loss, our thoughts are with Corey’s loved ones during this incredibly difficult time,” the team said on X. “We ask the Ole Miss community to keep Corey in their thoughts and respect the privacy of everyone involved.”
Adams, a New Orleans native, had recently graduated from Edna Karr High School in Louisiana, where he was remembered as a standout athlete and beloved young man. His high school’s football program shared an emotional message on Facebook:
“We are heartbroken and tormented to pieces. Corey was a friend, brother, son, student, and all-around great young man. This wasn’t supposed to be the end of his story.”
The Ole Miss sports website listed Adams as a freshman majoring in freshman studies.
He is survived by his parents, Corey Adams and Chantrel Bernhart.
The investigation into the shooting is ongoing.
