By C1 Staff
GETTYSBURG — Investigators are still trying to determine the motives of a man who entered Adams County Prison earlier this month, armed with two guns and a knife.
YDR reports that court documents shed a little light on why Jess Leipold fired shots on the prison grounds: he wanted to get people’s attention.
Angela Spino, the correctional officer who spoke with Leipold when he entered the facility lobby, said she was afraid he was going to shoot her, but kept calm.
She tried to talk Leipold down as he took out a handgun and tapped it on the lobby desk.
He told her that, “it is people like you who don’t care with that badge,” and “maybe now someone will realize something or this will get their attention now.”
He then left the lobby, where he was met with police outside and prompted a 35-minute standoff. He was ordered to put his hands up and drop his weapons, but in response Leipold fired a single shot into the ground. After he turned to face the building and aimed his rifle, he was shot by a state trooper.
He later died of a gunshot wound at York Hospital.
Leipold does not have any connections to the prison or its employees, according to investigators.
Investigators did seize a note from Leipold’s backpack, but it has not been publicly released.
The name of the trooper responsible for shooting Leipold has not been released and he has been placed on leave pending the outcome of the investigation.