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MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WKRN) — People in two states are mourning the deaths of an Alabama family following an apparent murder-suicide in Middle Tennessee.

It all started on Wednesday, Jan. 18 when deputies found 43-year-old Jennifer Lepore dead at a home in Madison County, Alabama, with no sign of her husband or her two sons.

It turned out Jennifer’s husband, 46-year-old Jamie Lepore, and the two boys — 9-year-old Jesse and 11-year-old Sean — were staying at a family friend’s home in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

At the request of Alabama deputies, Murfreesboro officers said they went to the house in the 2400 block of Cason Lane on Thursday, Jan. 19 and heard gunshots. When they got inside, they found all three family members dead after Jamie allegedly shot his children and then himself.

Following this tragic incident, News 2’s Alex Denis spoke to several people who knew the Lepore family, especially Sean, through their involvement in the Middle Tennessee racing community.

“It’s definitely going to be different. Being at the track in the pit and not seeing Sean’s number nine Bandolero come down pit road, it’s not going to be the same,” said Lacey Powers.

The Lepore family may have been from Alabama, but they traveled to Nashville frequently for competitions.

“The racing community in Nashville’s very tight,” added Gary Davis.

Davis has been the flagman at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway for nearly two decades.

“If you lose somebody in this family — doesn’t matter whether you were a close competitor or not — it’s like you lose part of your family,” Davis said.

Despite his age, Sean had already made a name for himself in the sport.

“He had no business being so good on that track, that’s for sure,” Powers said. “And when they told me he was 11, I was shocked!”

Racers from all over formed friendships that lasted much longer than the laps they took.
That surely was the case for Lizzy Taylor’s brother.

“Sean was a good racer. He was a good competitor. He always gave my brother a good fight at racing. Anybody in racing, honestly,” said Taylor.

News of the boys’ deaths has left their friends heartbroken.

“We’re all still so in shock,” said Powers. “I feel for that family. I can’t imagine how much pain they’re going through and all the whys could be running through their head. Why do that? Why do what he did?”

“It’s just hard to expect that we have lost two young boys to these horrific events,” said Taylor. “The community will really miss those boys, because they were a huge part of everybody’s life.”

News 2 spoke to a friend of the family, who didn’t want to go on camera, but said that Jennifer was a loving mother and there’s no doubt that she has been reunited with her boys in heaven.