ROCK HILL, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) Five people killed at the home of Dr. Robert and Barbara Lesslie on Marshall Road, in Rock Hill, late Wednesday afternoon. The couple, were well known in York County.
Two of their grandchildren among those killed, the oldest just 9 years old, Adah Lesslie, a 3rd grader here in Rock Hill and her younger brother Noah, age 5.
A fifth person was found dead outside the home, 38-year-old James Lewis of Gastonia, who was working at the home at the time. Another man called 911 after being shot and is still fighting for his life.
Today we learned a former NFL player, a Rock Hill High School stand out, is the person police believe pulled the trigger.
His parents lived near the Lesslie’s and he’d been living with them.
York County Coronor, Sabrina Gast, confirming Phillip Adams was found dead by police after a stand off at a home also on Marshall Road from a self inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
Adams was a Bearcat in the early 2000’s, played at South Carolina State University and in 2011 was drafted by the 49ers, he played for five additional NFL teams over the course of his career.
MOSS JUSTICE – YORK COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE UPATES
York County Sheriff’s Office holding a media briefing, releasing more information about the Marshall Road shooting that took place in Rock Hill this past Wednesday. York County Sheriff’s leaders say they have more questions than answers at this point in time, the biggest question? Why?
A York County 911 call plays, “York County 911. Do you need police, fire, medical?”
Two 911 calls both coming in around the 4 o’clock hour on April 7th. One from Gastonia Sheet Metal or GSM Services.
“I have two technicians on that location, I just have one call me screaming that he had been shot and the other technician has also been shot and is not responsive.”
Another call from an 80-year-old man near Marshall Road at the time of the shootings.
“I think there’s been a bad shooting. Maybe four people. Okay so you think four people have been shot? I believe so.”
The York County Sheriff’s Office releasing more information from the incident.
“Our deputies, the first deputies arrived on the scene eight minutes after those two 911 calls. It’s a large area we began to assess the victims that we encountered. The first two victims obviously we encountered were the two air conditioning techs they were outside the home and in the driveway at their work vans. Then we immediately began to assemble a team to clear the house of Dr. Robert Lesslie. Once we cleared the home we found Dr. Robert Lesslie and his wife Barbara and their two grandchildren in a room in the back of the house all deceased with gunshot wounds,” says Sheriff Kevin Tolson.
There was one living survivor an employee of the GSM. That victim is still said to be in critical condition. York County Sheriff Kevin Tolson reflecting on Dr. Lesslie and his entire family’s impact on the community.
“We tend to eulogize and canonize folks and that kind of waters it down but, I would not want to water down anything that Dr. Lesslie did are meant for this community, he knew everyone, he treated everyone with respect, and your reflect on the family statement that’s the type of family that Dr. Lesslie raised, because that’s the type of man that he was,” says Tolson.
We spoke with a neighbor, who was advised to stay indoors during Wednesday’s search for the suspect. Watching the scene from their porch neighbors saying it was a shocking experience something you’d never expect in your own community.
“You don’t hear about anything like this, never imagined you know that it was right here at your house when we left they were hunting the woods and still looking for the person and everything and it really hit home, it hit hard,” says neighbor, Allison Hope.
The neighbors we spoke with saying that it’s a tightknit community and something that they never imagine what happened in their own front yard. They say that it’s a great loss for both families.
In the video above, CN2’s Rachel Richardson at York County’s Moss Justice Center getting more updates and speaking with neighbors who witnessed some of the events.
