A small Michigan community is reeling after a 33-year-old bowling coach fatally shot a teenage girl he once mentored — then turned the gun on himself inside her home.
Police say Ryne Leist entered the Bedford Township home of 17-year-old Gwendolyn Smith on the evening of June 14 and shot her multiple times before taking his own life. The grim discovery was made by Smith’s stepfather, who returned home to find both bodies.
Monroe County Sheriff Troy Goodnough confirmed the murder-suicide at a press conference days later, noting that the nature of Leist and Smith’s relationship is still unclear. However, he emphasized that the teen “did not consider the relationship between the two to be romantic.”
What sparked the deadly encounter remains a mystery, but Smith’s stepfather pointed to a disturbing trail of emails the suspect had sent his daughter before her death. In a comment posted to a local Facebook group, the grieving father wrote, “I’ve seen enough of the emails he sent my daughter before he killed her to know it’s not speculation. He deserves to rot in a special hell.”
Sheriff Goodnough confirmed that Leist and Smith had communicated just five days before the tragedy, but did not disclose the contents of those exchanges.
Adding to the confusion was Leist’s connection to the school. Initial reports suggested he may have worked for the local school system, but authorities later clarified that he was never employed by Bedford Public Schools. Leist was, instead, a volunteer coach at a local bowling alley club — not affiliated with the school district.
As investigators work to piece together what happened, tributes to Gwendolyn Smith have poured in.
“It is with a heavy heart that I share the tragic and heartbreaking news of the loss of one of our own—Gwendolyn Smith,” wrote Bedford Public Schools superintendent Carl Shultz. He described her as “an extraordinary young woman” who excelled academically, shined as a talented artist and athlete, and was beloved for her warmth and kindness.
Smith had just graduated high school and was preparing for the next chapter of her life.
A GoFundMe has been launched to help support her family as they navigate this heartbreaking loss.
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Author: thedailycrime1
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