1967 Clinton County, Pennsylvania shootings
On October 23, 1967, a mass shooting occurred at several locations in Clinton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The gunman, 40-year-old Leo Held, opened fire at his workplace in Lock Haven, the William T. Piper Memorial Airport, and the home of one of his neighbors in Loganton, killing six people and wounding six others. Held then engaged in a shootout with police, was mortally wounded, and died two days later in the hospital.[2]
| 1967 Clinton County, Pennsylvania spree shooting | |
|---|---|
| Location | Clinton County, Pennsylvania, US |
| Date | October 23, 1967 |
Attack type | Mass shooting, mass murder, spree shooting |
| Weapons |
|
| Deaths | 7 (including the perpetrator) |
| Injured | 6 |
| Perpetrator | Leo Held |
Shootings
editThe shooter, 40-year-old Leo Held, left his home in Loganton armed with a .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol and a .38 caliber revolver. He arrived at his workplace, Hammermill Paper Company in Lock Haven, in the morning in his car. After parking outside, Held entered through the front door and fatally shot his boss, Carmen Edwards, through the heart from behind at the doorway leading to the mill's engine room. Held then walked up to the second-floor laboratory, where he fatally shot three of his co-workers and injured two others.
While leaving the laboratory, Held wounded another co-worker before going to the main office and killing another employee. While leaving the office, he wounded a final co-worker and fled the building through the stock preparation room. Another co-worker, who was unaware of the shooting, walked past him due to Held's calm demeanor as he left.
Held then drove to William T. Piper Memorial Airport, then known simply as Lock Haven Airport, where he shot Geraldine Ramm six times; he had previously carpooled with her. Held was escorted out without incident by the airport's manager, Howard Graves, who was apparently unaware that his employee had been shot and believed Held was committing a prank.[3] Held left the airport and circled in his car around Sugar Valley School, where three of his children attended. The school had been put on lockdown after police had informed the school's principal of the shootings. Held then drove back to Loganton, where he entered the unlocked backdoor of his neighbor's house and went into their bedroom, fatally shooting Floyd Quiggle and wounding his wife Donna as they slept in their bed. Donna was paralyzed from the shoulders down as a result of the shooting, as the Quiggle's daughter Joan hid beneath her bed in her bedroom. Before returning to his house, Held stole weapons and ammunition from the Quiggle home.[4]
Responding police officers encountered Held as he left his home through a side-door, and he was ordered to disarm himself. Held reportedly responded by telling officers to "come and get" his weapon. He then engaged in a shootout with police before being mortally wounded.[2]
Victims
editDead
edit- Carmen Edwards, 62 (Hammermill)
- Elmer Weaver, 37 (Hammermill)
- Allen Barrett Jr., 44 (Hammermill)
- Richard Davenport, 32 (Hammermill)
- Donald Walden, 31 (Hammermill)
- Floyd Quiggle, 27 (Loganton)
Injured
edit- Richard Carter, 40 (Hammermill)
- James Allen, 47 (Hammermill)
- David Overdof, 27 (Hammermill)
- Woodrow Stultz, 46 (Hammermill)
- Geraldine Ramm, 37 (Lock Haven Airport)
- Donna Quiggle, 26 (Loganton)
Perpetrator
editLeo Held lived in Loganton with his wife Alda and their four children. Held had graduated from Sugar Valley High School in 1946 and had studied chemistry at Lock Haven State College. Two years after graduating high school Held had joined the Army where he served as a clerk in Japan. His parents, Clifford and Florence Held, had passed away in 1957 and 1958 respectively. Held had worked as a laboratory technician at Hammermill Paper Company for 19 years at the time of the shooting. Held had also volunteered at the local fire station and was an active member of his church. Held had also been elected to the Keystone Central School District school board in 1959 and served as president from 1963 to 1964.[5]
A neighbor, Ella Knisely, had once gotten into an argument with Held over a fallen tree limb, which prompted him to attack her with the branch. However, when Knisely brought Held to court on assault and battery charges the magistrate threw out her case and Held's cross complaint against her.
After the shooting, Alda Held told the local newspaper, The Express, that she did not know why her husband committed the shootings. A doctor who treated Held a year before noted that he had been exhibiting paranoid tendencies. Police speculated that Held felt that he had been unjustly passed over for promotions, that Geraldine Ramm refused to carpool with Held anymore due to his alleged erratic driving, and that Held and Floyd Quiggle had feuded over smoke from a burn pile in the past.[6] Police also said that co-workers in positions of power abused their position to "tease" Held.[4] A staff member at the hospital Held was being treated at allegedly heard Held say that he had "one more to go" hours before he died, hinting that Held had at least one more target before he was stopped by police.[2]
See also
edit- 1969 Pennsylvania Turnpike shootings, a spree shooting in Pennsylvania which occurred two years later
References
edit- ^ "Pennsylvania: The Revolt of Leo Held". Time. November 3, 1967. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
- ^ a b c Pashakis, Ioannis (2017-10-23). "Mass slaying shocked community 50 years ago". Williamsport Sun-Gazette. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
- ^ Bernard, Lou (2017-10-17). "THE FURY OF LEO HELD". The Express (Lock Haven). Retrieved 2023-09-13.
- ^ a b "Pennsylvania: The Revolt of Leo Held". Time. 1967-11-03. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
- ^ "Leo Held Dies, His Motives Remain Untold". The Lock Haven Express. 1967-10-25. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
- ^ Papa, Kristina (2017-10-23). "50 Years Since Mass Shooting in Clinton County". WNEP-TV. Retrieved 2023-09-13.