Richard Davenport, a 32-year-old male of Caucasian ethnicity, was tragically shot and killed on October 23, 1967, while working at the New York and Penn Paper Company in Lock Haven, Clinton County, Pennsylvania. The incident was part of a larger mass shooting spree carried out by Leo Held, a 40-year-old employee at the Hammermill Paper Company in Lock Haven.
On that fateful day, Held arrived at his workplace armed with a .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol and a .38-caliber revolver.
He began his rampage by shooting and killing Carmen Edwards, his boss, at the entrance to the mill's engine room. Held then proceeded to the second-floor laboratory, where he fatally shot three of his co-workers, including Richard Davenport, Elmer Weaver, and Allen Barrett. He also wounded Richard Carter and James Allen before moving to the main office, where he killed Donald Walden and wounded David Overdorf.
After leaving the Hammermill Paper Company, Held drove to the Lock Haven Airport, where he shot and wounded Geraldine Ramm and engaged in a brief struggle with the airport manager, Howard Graves. Held then drove to Loganton, where he entered the home of his neighbor, Floyd Quiggle, and fatally shot him and his wife, Donna, before stealing weapons and ammunition from their home. Held was eventually confronted by police and engaged in a shootout before being mortally wounded. He died two days later in the hospital.
The motive behind Held's actions was never fully determined, though there was speculation about his mental state. At the time, mental illness was not as well understood as it is today, and it is likely that signs of Held's deteriorating mental health were missed.
The tragic events of October 23, 1967, left a lasting impact on the Lock Haven community, and the names of the victims, including Richard Davenport, are remembered to this day.
