A Michigan community is left with more questions than answers after a recent high school graduate was shot and killed. The girl died in an suspected murder-suicide, but no one can figure out why. Itâs mainly because the teen didnât seem to have much of a connection to Ryne Leist, the man who fatally shot her before killing himself. Leist reportedly had been coaching the high schoolâs bowling team, but his exact tie to the school is unclear, prompting additional concerns from parents.
Monroe County Sheriff Troy Goodnough said Leist, 33, âmade entryâ into the home of 17-year-old Gwen Smithâs stepfather on June 14, 2025, WTVG reported. Leist shot Gwen Smith multiple times, killing her. He then turned the gun on himself. Investigators are still determining how Leist got into the residence.
Smith was a recent graduate of Bedford High School, where she was part of a club bowling team. Although Leist was apparently the coach for the team, there was confusion about whether he was actually employed by the school district. Goodnough initially stated that Leist wasnât employed as the teamâs coach, but upon more investigation, he revised his statement.
According to the sheriff, Leist was a âvolunteerâ through Forest View Lanes, a local recreation center, WTOL reported. But when the 2024-25 yearbook listed him as âcoach,â it created more concern.
âIt has shaken our confidence in administration,â a parent who didnât want to be identified told the news outlet.
âEvery coach who works with anyone through bowling at the youth level, they have to go through a national background check,â Bedford schools Superintendent Carl Shultz told WTOL. He added that Leist had passed all required background checks.
Shultz started a GoFundMe account for the Smith family. It’s raised nearly $21,000 thus far.
Things only got murkier when Goodnough revealed that Leist wasnât working for Forest View Lanes at the time of the killing. Currently, authorities donât have a clear timeline for when Leist stopped working there, but they did say he likely quit a âshort timeâ before killing Smith, WTVG reported.
It is still unclear to authorities how well or long Leist and Smith knew each other. They also have not been able to establish a clear motive for the killing. The sheriff said Smith didnât see Leist as a romantic partner, and they werenât in a relationship. Goodnough said there was communication between the two five days before the killing. He didnât give more information, however, beyond noting that investigators were looking into it.
Smithâs stepfather, Levi Smith, had something to say about the emails. A local Facebook group was talking about the killing, the New York Post reported. As allegations against Leist flew, one person implored the group not to jump to conclusions.
âIâve seen enough of the emails he sent my daughter before he killed her to know itâs not speculation,â Levi Smith shared in his post to the group, per the news outlet. âHe deserves to rot in a special hell.â
