In the quiet town of Pennington Gap, Virginia, a life was tragically cut short on a Tuesday evening. Lee David Lipps, a 34-year-old male, was fatally wounded by a gunshot on August 28, 2018. The incident unfolded outside a residence in the 100 block of Virginia Avenue, shattering the calm of the neighborhood.
That evening, at approximately 7:30 p.m., the Lee County Sheriff's Office received a call reporting shots fired.
Upon their arrival at the scene, deputies discovered Lipps suffering from a gunshot wound. He was quickly transported to Lonesome Pine Hospital in nearby Big Stone Gap, but tragically, he was pronounced dead.
The investigation into the death of Lee David Lipps was a collaborative effort between the Virginia State Police and the Lee County Sheriff's Office. Their work led to the arrest of a suspect in connection with the homicide. Leon Smith, who was 24 years old at the time, was taken into custody and charged with first-degree murder. Following his arrest, Smith was held at the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail. An autopsy and examination of Lipps's body were conducted by the Roanoke Medical Examiner to further aid the investigation.
