Gwendolyn Smith, Bedford, Michigan high school graduate shot dead by her former bowling coach, Ryan Leist, who then turned gun on himself. No known motive amid pressing questions.
A recent Michigan high school ‘female’ graduate was shot dead by her former bowling coach who in turn then turned the murder weapon on himself last week.
Ryne Leist, 33, ‘gained entry’ into the school girl’s home on June 14 before shooting Gwendolyn Smith, 17, multiple times, Monroe County Sheriff Troy Goodnough said during a June 18 press conference. The girl’s stepdad arrived home at 6 p.m, to find the two dead, the sheriff said.
Bedford, Michigan murder-suicide
The method in which the coach got into the Bedford Township home is currently under investigation, deputies said. Not immediately clear is whether the man had broken into the house or if he was let in.
According to a Facebook release from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Leist was a ‘known acquaintance’ of Smith.
Leist, was pictured with the bowling team in the 2024-2025 yearbook, but was paid to coach through the bowling establishment and not the school.
The ‘gifted student’ recently graduated from Bedford High School, and was a prized member of her former school’s bowling team along with being a stand out at her school’s music program according to a release from Bedford Public Schools.
‘She was a vibrant, creative, yet goofy person who had a deep passion for all to be happy,’ according to Smith’s obituary.
Questions were raised as to what prompted the the teen’s former bowling coach to target his victim including whether the the man was involved with the teen or had perhaps sought involvement. And what kind of grievances he may have held against the 17 year old girl.
Romantic relations? Romantic intentions? Just acquaintances?
Monroe County Sheriff Troy Goodnough alluded to there being ‘communications’ between Smith and her former coach in the days prior to the murder-suicide, without qualifying what may have been expressed.
Stressed Goodnough, ‘Gwendolyn did not consider the relation between the two of them to be romantic.’
But did Leist? And had he sought more?
Of note, Leist had resigned from his role at the Forest View Lanes before the shooting, deputies said.
Leist had passed the required background checks for youth coaches in Michigan, Bedford Public School Superintendent Carl Shultz told WTOL.
Bedford stepdad had posted alongside Gwen Smith how proud of her he was just 2 weeks before shooting
The teen’s stepfather, Matthew Kennerson, had celebrated her high school graduation two weeks before her death with a heartwarming social media post.
‘Really proud stepdad!’ Kennerson captioned the post, alongside a photo of himself with Smith wearing her graduation cap and gown, holding her diploma.
‘Love you forever… I’m so sorry I couldn’t save you…’ he wrote two weeks later.
A GoFundMe to benefit Smith’s family has to date generated over $18,700.
Authorities continue to investigate.
