Today marks five years since a former NFL defensive back opened fire at a Rock Hill home, killing six people and shattering a quiet York County neighborhood. On April 7, 2021, the rampage left Dr. Robert Lesslie, his wife Barbara and their grandchildren Adah, 9, and Noah, 5, among the dead, along with two HVAC technicians working at the house. The killings, and a later autopsy that found signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy in the shooter, have kept the case firmly in the public eye.
What Happened on April 7, 2021
Investigators say Phillip Adams, a Rock Hill native who spent six seasons in the NFL, walked away from his parents' property and opened fire on the Lesslie home before taking his own life during a standoff, according to The Washington Post. The four members of the Lesslie family were found inside the Marshall Road house, while James Lewis and Robert Shook, both 38, were shot outside, officials said.
Adams' professional career, including 78 NFL games over six seasons, was chronicled by ESPN, which detailed his time in the league before his return to Rock Hill.
Autopsy Finds Severe Brain Trauma
A postmortem study announced in December 2021 found "unusually severe" stage-2 CTE in Adams' frontal lobes, a diagnosis researchers said was consistent with long-term head trauma, according to WBUR/NPR. Boston University neuropathologist Dr. Ann McKee said the frontal-lobe pathology is associated with problems in impulse control, memory and mood.
Coroner and family statements at the time emphasized that the CTE finding was only one piece of a complex puzzle and did not provide a straightforward motive, even as it added fuel to the ongoing conversation about football, head injuries and accountability.
Wrongful-Death Suit and Legal Questions
The shooting has also led to civil litigation. A wrongful-death suit tied to Adams' brain findings was remanded back to state court in April 2025. Plaintiffs allege that institutions failed to warn or protect players from chronic head trauma, while defenses and jurisdictional fights have stretched the legal process and kept the case grinding forward.
Community Memory
Neighbors and congregants say the Lesslie family remains at the center of Rock Hill's memory of the tragedy, and the family’s statement after the killings, "We are truly in the midst of the unimaginable," still surfaces in local remembrances, according to The Washington Post. Local advocates and some victims' relatives have used the case to push for improved brain-injury screening and better support for former players.
Local outlets marked the five-year anniversary with remembrances and short features on Tuesday, and WCNC ran a video segment reflecting on the families, the shock that still lingers and the unanswered questions that remain. As courts and researchers continue to work through the legal and medical threads, the loss, and the debate it sparked, remain a daily presence in Rock Hill.
