Dear Campus Community,
The Winthrop community is shocked and deeply saddened by the mass shooting yesterday involving four family members and two workers outside of Rock Hill. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims. I am writing because Winthrop has a connection to this tragedy of which many of you are likely unaware.
Dr. Robert Lesslie was, for more than 25 years, our supervising physician/medical director here at Winthrop, providing oversight to Health Services and supervising our nursing staff. His contributions to our community were wide ranging, and students, in particular, have long benefitted from referrals to his practice when additional care was needed beyond our scope. I personally will be forever grateful to him for the advice and counsel he provided to our COVID-19 response team as we opened the campus last fall to residential living and learning. We simply would not have been able to successfully open and provide on-site quarantine and isolation support if it were not for Dr. Lesslie.
As the community reels with the news of this senseless tragedy, let us remember our university’s longstanding relationship with a consummate and caring professional who touched lives and left our campus a better place for his contributions. To our Health Services staff, we extend our deepest condolences. Please remember and lift up the families of all the victims.
In sadness,
George
