A high school bowling coach in Michigan shot and killed one of his former bowlers inside her home and turned the gun on himself in a horrific murder-suicide, leaving the community “heartbroken.”
Gwen Smith, 17, of Temperance, Michigan, had recently graduated when former Bedford High School’s bowling club coach Ryne Leist, 33, fatally shot her multiple times at her home on June 14.
Monroe County Sheriff Troy Goodnough told a press conference Wednesday that the tragedy was discovered when Gwen’s stepfather returned home at around 6 p.m. that evening, finding the mortally wounded teen and her alleged killer.
Gwen’s death was ruled a homicide by the medical examiner’s office, and Leist died by suicide.
It is not clear how Leist accessed the home, whether he was let in by Gwen or had forced entry.
“At this time, the point of entry and access remains under investigation,” Sheriff Goodnough said
“The details of their relationship are not clear at this time, although it’s believed that Gwendolyn did not consider their relationship to be romantic,” he said, noting in a press release that they were merely acquaintances.
Investigators are reportedly examining the text messages the pair exchanged five days prior, according to Local 4 Click on Detroit.
Leist was not an employee of the school district. He recently left his job at Forest View Lanes, where he had served as an assistant coach for the bowling team since the fall. It is reported that he was paid through the bowling alley.
“He met the criteria; he completed the full background check. There was no sign that this was not a qualified hire, that something could go wrong,” said Dr. Carl Shultz, Superintendent of Bedford Public Schools, adding that he completed all the required coursework for coaching.
Schultz set up a GoFundMe for Gwen’s family in the aftermath of the tragedy.
“She’s a remarkable young lady who lost her life for a senseless act. Obviously, there was something going on that no one knew,” Schultz told Local 4.
Gwen was known as “vibrant, creative, and goofy” and someone with “a passion for all to be happy.”
“We are heartbroken as a community, as a district,” Shultz said. “We’re gonna try to pick the pieces up, but I don’t know how that’s gonna look for the near future. This is a big loss for our community.”
