SLIPPERY ROCK — A landlord who often butted heads with borough officials over governmental matters died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound Saturday evening at the borough building.

State police said officers found the body of Frank Monteleone Jr. at the borough building on East Water Street minutes after he made a disturbing call to 911 about 5:30 p.m.

“He expressed he was going to shoot himself,” said Cpl. Dan Herr at the Butler barracks.

SRU police, called to assist troopers, were first to get there.

Investigators said Montelone’s body was found against the door of state Rep. Jaret Gibbons’ Butler County office that is in the borough building right next to the police station.

Police would not speculate about Monteleone’s motive or why he picked the borough building to take his life.

Herr declined to say if Monteleone left behind a note that could explain his action.

Borough resident Chuck Brochetti knew Monteleone since Monteleone was 6 years old, saying he looked at him almost as a son.

“I still can’t get over it,” Brochetti said.

Monteleone, who graduated from Slippery Rock High School in 1979, owned Monteleone Apartments and Home Rentals.

He had been going to borough council meetings since he was a child. His father was mayor from 1973 to 1985.

In 2008, Monteleone and several other residents hired attorney Larry Rodgers to look into borough ordinances due to concerns they had about how the borough handled stormwater, snow plowing and paving.

In 2009, Monteleone unsuccessfully ran as a Republican candidate for mayor, losing to incumbent Ken Harris. His platform included a push for round- the-clock police coverage.

During fall 2011, Monteleone urged borough council to demand better response times from Slippery Rock Ambulance or to consider using Superior Ambulance.

Since May, Monteleone had been coming to council meetings to urge it to change the bulk trash pickup date from March to May.

During the summer, he took out several advertisements in the Butler Eagle discussing the trash issue as well as other issues. He also posted signs with his opinions on his truck parked on Grove City Road and on signs on his properties.

In part because of Monteleone’s actions, council created an advisory committee to make a recommendation about the trash issue.

Brochetti said that Monteleone had difficulty in dealing with the borough for years.

He also said that Monteleone quietly would donate to charitable causes.

“He always had a community spirit,” Brochetti said.

Borough Councilman Itzi Meztli, who was a friend of Monteleone’s, said although he did not always agree with Monteleone’s positions, he said he always respected the fact that Monteleone spoke up at council meetings and discussed different issues.

“He will be sorely missed,” Meztli said. “He cared a lot about Slippery Rock.”

He said that he had not heard from Monteleone for about three weeks. He noted that Monteleone also had not attended council meetings for several weeks.

“I’ve been in shock since I heard about it Saturday night,” Meztli said.

Mayor Harris said that he and other borough officials were shocked by Montelone’s death.

“We’re saddened by this,” Harris said.

Bill Sonntag, director of Slippery Rock Development, said that Monteleone built the first multistory, off-campus apartment building for Slippery Rock University students with his uncle in the 1980s.

Investigators recovered the .38-caliber revolver they believe Monteleone used to shoot himself. His vehicle was in the borough building’s parking lot.

Butler County Coroner William Young III ruled Monteleone’s death a suicide. There was no autopsy.