The family of Corey Adams, an 18-year-old Ole Miss football player fatally shot Saturday night after a Cordova pool party, joined the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Monday, July 21, to ask anyone with information to come forward. 

Adams’ family described him as a young man dedicated to football and whose life was tragically cut short.

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During a Monday afternoon press conference, Chief Deputy Anthony Buckner of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office called Adams’ death “a priority-one case for us,” with more than a dozen detectives working around the clock. However, the SCSO is still working to determine a suspect or suspects in the killing as well as a motive. 

When asked about what led to the shooting, Buckner acknowledged the SCSO was still trying to ascertain that information. 

“We have far more questions right now than we have answers,” Buckner said, emphasizing the need for community cooperation. “We know that more than 100 people were attending this party. So we know people saw something or heard something.”

The shooting occurred just after 10:14 p.m. Saturday, July 19, outside a home on Fern Glade Cove in Cordova. 

Deputies discovered Adams at the intersection of Forest Hill-Irene and Walnut Grove roads, suffering from gunshot wounds. Despite deputies and paramedics performing life-saving measures, Adams was pronounced dead on the scene.

About a mile away, near a home on Fern Glade Cove, SCSO detectives later found more than 40 rifle and pistol shell casings. 

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Four other men with gunshot wounds were also taken to area hospitals in private vehicles. 

Three of the four have since been released, while one remains hospitalized. Buckner declined to release the identities of the other wounded individuals or give any additional information about them, citing SCSO policy. 

According to Buckner, the shooting erupted as the pool party ended and attendees “spilled into the cove.”

Given the shell casings found at the scene, Buckner said there was “no indication of an exchange of gunfire,” but that SCSO was looking for one or more suspects, with two or more firearms being discharged. 

“Right now, it’s just a very complex puzzle that we’re trying to piece together,“ Buckner said. “(What led to the shooting is) a critical piece of information for us to learn, so then we can figure out what happened after that.”

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Corey Adams, a New Orleans native, was a freshman defensive end who had recently signed with Ole Miss after leading the Edna Karr High football team to a Louisiana state championship.

His mother, Chantrel Bernhart, said her son was a dedicated athlete and loving child.

“My son is not a bad child. He lived for football. He was an all-star, an undefeated player for Edna Karr. My son dreamed of going to the NFL,” Bernhart said. 

Bernhart said Adams had gotten to the pool party just as it was ending and was only in the area about 10 minutes. 

“I can’t give my son the rest of what I wanted to give him,” she said. “The least of what I can do is give him justice.”

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SCSO responded to the Fern Glade Cove address earlier on Saturday because of a noise complaint, and the party’s host reportedly turned down the music. 

The next call for law enforcement was about the shooting. 

SCSO is urging anyone in the vicinity of Fern Glade Cove with surveillance video to contact detectives at 901-222-5600.

Buckner stressed that even footage community members might deem insignificant could be crucial evidence.

“This family deserves closure, and this family deserves to see the best of Memphis, to see the best of our citizens here.”