Leo Held was born in 1927. He lived in the rural community of Loganton, Pennsylvania, and worked as a lab technician at the Hammermill Paper Company in Lock Haven. By many accounts, Held was an ordinary man — quiet, married, and employed — but over time, co-workers described him as becoming increasingly paranoid and withdrawn. There were reported instances of friction at his workplace and disagreements with management. Some reports suggested he believed people were plotting against him, though no formal mental health diagnosis was ever recorded.

Held also had conflicts with neighbors and people in his small community. Though he didn’t have a violent criminal history, there were underlying tensions in his personal and professional life that likely contributed to his eventual breakdown.

On the morning of October 23, 1967, Leo Held armed himself with a rifle and a .38 caliber revolver and began a calculated shooting spree. His rampage started at his workplace, Hammermill Paper Company, in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. He entered the building and opened fire on co-workers, killing and wounding several individuals. After fleeing the paper plant, Held drove to the William T. Piper Memorial Airport, where he shot at people near the terminal and reportedly tried to continue his attack.

His final stop was his hometown of Loganton, where he targeted a neighbor’s home and opened fire once more. In total, six people were killed and six more were injured during the attack. Held eventually encountered police, who responded swiftly and exchanged gunfire with him. During the shootout, he was mortally wounded.

Leo Held was transported to a hospital, where he died two days later on October 25, 1967, from his injuries. He was never tried or convicted due to his death.