ROCK HILL, S.C. — The Lesslie family of Rock Hill, South Carolina, issued a statement to WCNC Charlotte on Wednesday ahead of the one-year anniversary of a shooting that left six people dead, including Dr. Robert Lesslie, his wife, Barbara, and two of their grandchildren.
Jeff Lesslie, the son of Robert and Barbara, provided the following statement:
"It has been a year since our community came face to face with the unbelievable. In the minutes, days, and months since, our family has remained fixed on the eternal hope we have in Christ. The following statement that we shared after the event remains true to this day. It has helped to guide us deeper into fellowship with one another in love. As CS Lewis has said, 'come further up, come further in.'
On behalf of the Lesslie, Alexander, and Kulbok clans, we would like to address the outpouring of heartbreak, shock, grief, and support from our family, friends, and community.
We are truly in the midst of the unimaginable. The losses we are suffering cannot be uttered at this time.
While we know there are no answers that will satisfy the question “why,” we are sure of one thing: we do not grieve as those without hope. Our hope is found in the promise of Jesus Christ, and we are enveloped by peace that surpasses all understanding. To that end, our hearts are bent toward forgiveness and peace. Toward love and connectedness. Toward celebration and unity. We honor all of those involved in this story with prayers and compassion specifically for the Shook family, the Lewis family, and the Adams family.
As Robert Lesslie would say, when peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll, it is well with my soul.
If you would like to do something for the family,
Adah and Noah would want you to stock the free pantries and libraries in your community.
Barbara and Robert would want you to be good stewards of what you are given, leaving every place better than it was before you got there.
Adah, Noah, Barbara, Robert, and the rest of the family would ask any memorials or gifts to be sent to Camp Joy North Carolina (918 South Pleasantburg Dr., Greenville, SC 29607) in honor of hope and the promise of eternity."
York County deputies said that Phillip Adams, a former NFL player, shot and killed Robert and Barbara Lesslie in their home, as well as two of the grandchildren, 9-year-old Adah, and 5-year-old Noah. Two HVAC workers, James Lewis, and Robert Shook, were also killed at the home.
Police said Adams later took his own life as deputies were closing in on him. Adams, who was from Rock Hill, showed signs of severe brain damage caused by CTE, according to a researcher from Boston University.
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.
McKee went on to say that Boston University has diagnosed CTE in 700 individuals, including 315 former NFL players. She said that of 24 former NFL players who died in their 20s and 30s, most of them had Stage 2 CTE. McKee compared Adams' CTE pathology to that of former NFL player Aaron Hernandez, who was diagnosed with CTE after his death in 2017.
A representative for Adams' family said he was "desperately seeking help" from the NFL but was denied all of his claims because he had trouble remembering things and struggled to complete simple tasks, such as traveling to visit doctors and undergo extensive testing.
If you or a loved one are facing thoughts of suicide or self-harm, there is help readily available. You can call The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or chat with them online. There are also resources in North Carolina available here and in South Carolina available here.