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Michigan high school bowling coach fatally shot teen grad inside her home before killing himself in murder-suicide: police

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Michigan high school bowling coach fatally shot teen grad inside her home before killing himself in murder-suicide: police


A Michigan high school bowling coach fatally murdered one of his former bowlers, who had recently graduated, inside her home before turning the gun on himself in a horrific murder-suicide last week.

Former Bedford High School’s bowling club coach Ryne Leist fatally shot 17-year-old Gwendolyn Smith multiple times at her stepfather’s Bedford Township home on June 14, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office announced.

Smith’s stepfather returned home at around 6 p.m. to discover the mortally wounded teen and her alleged killer, Sheriff Troy Goodnough said during a press conference Wednesday.

Gwendolyn Smith was killed inside her stepfather’s home in Bedford Township on June 14, 2025. Matthew Kennerson/Facebook

Bedford Public School Superintendent Carl Shultz mourned Smith as an “extraordinary young woman” as he shared the devastating news with the school district.

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“It is with a heavy heart that I share the tragic and heartbreaking news of the loss of one of our own—Gwendolyn Smith, a 2025 graduate of Bedford School,” Shultz wrote in a Facebook post. “Gwen was an extraordinary young woman whose presence left an indelible mark on our school community.”

Leist had gained entry into the home, but officials did not reveal if he had broken into the house or if he was let in.

“At this time, the point of entry and access remains under investigation,” Goodnough said

Smith’s death was ruled a homicide by the medical examiner’s office, and Leist died of suicide.

Ryne Leist photgraphed with the Bedford High School Club Bowling team, including Smith, in the school’s 2024-2025 school yearbook. WTOL 11

Goodnough didn’t specify the relationship between Smith and her former coach.

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“Gwendolyn did not consider the relation between the two of them to be romantic,” Goodnough told reporters.

Leist worked alongside the public school’s bowling club, gaining the gig through the local bowling alley and was not an employee of the school district, officials said.

He had recently resigned from his position at the bowling alley.

Leist had passed the required background checks for youth coaches in Michigan, Shultz told WTOL.

Gwendolyn Smith with her stepfather, Matthew, after her high school graduation on June 1, 2025. Matthew Kennerson/Facebook

Smith’s stepparents paid tribute to the teen.

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“We aren’t supposed to outlive our children. Everyone loved Gwen. She was kind, talented and the best kid an evil stepmother could ask for. My middle daughter my baby was murdered,” Smith’s stepmother, Heather Smith wrote.

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.

The bowling club practiced out of the Forest View bowling alley. WTOL 11
Smith was remembered as a gifted student, passionate artist and standout athlete. Matthew Kennerson/Facebook

Shultz described Smith as a gifted student, a passionate artist and a standout athlete.

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“Gwen will be remembered for her kindness, her bright spirit, and the joy she brought to those around her,” he said.

“This tragic and unnecessary loss cannot be explained. It has shaken our entire Bedford community, and our hearts and prayers go out to Gwen’s family and the many friends whose lives she touched so deeply,” he added.

Bedford Senior High School in Temperance, Michigan. WTOL 11

Shultz created a GoFundMe — which has generated over $18,000 — to benefit Smith’s mom.

“I was compelled to really help them out and make sure they had the resources necessary to be able to take care of what they needed to due to this horrible tragedy,” Shultz told the outlet.

“I’m always a parent first, I’m an educator second, but as a parent, I don’t know how you get up the next day. And they’re extremely strong and they’re doing everything they can to hold everything together, but I was just trying to help out as much as I could.”

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Ex-Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore walks into court hand-in-hand with wife ahead of latest hearing

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Ex-Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore walks into court hand-in-hand with wife ahead of latest hearing


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Former Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore was spotted holding hands with his wife, Kelli, inside an Ann Arbor district court on Friday morning.

Moore is the subject of a criminal case after he was arrested shortly after being fired due to an inappropriate relationship with a staffer. Soon after the firing, he was jailed after allegedly breaking into the staffer’s house and allegedly threatening to kill himself.

Prosecutors accused Moore of contacting the staffer via phone calls and texts after the breakup, prompting the woman to contact the University of Michigan and cooperate in its investigation. Moore was subsequently fired from his position as head football coach, which prosecutors said prompted him to show up at her home.

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Kelli Moore, left, walks with her husband, former University of Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore, and his attorney Ellen Michaels at the 14A-1 District Court in Ann Arbor on Friday, March 6, 2026. (Mandi Wright / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

Moore then allegedly “barged” his way into the residence, grabbed a butter knife and a pair of kitchen scissors, and began threatening his own life. According to prosecutors, Moore allegedly told the staffer, “My blood is on your hands” and “You ruined my life.”

Moore’s wife also appeared in court in January.

Kelli called 911 over concerns the former Michigan coach was “going to hurt himself” after getting “fired from his job.”

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Former Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore appears in the courtroom, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo/Jose Juarez)

Moore and the alleged victim had an “intimate relationship for a number of years,” a prosecutor said during an initial hearing shortly after his arrest, but had broken up earlier this week.

The alleged mistress did not have her contract with the university renewed, the school confirmed to Fox News Digital earlier this week.

Moore, if convicted, faces more than half a decade behind bars, which would certainly further damage any hopes he may have of getting back on the sidelines.

Moore went 16-8 as Michigan’s head coach, going 8-5 in year one and then 7-3 this past season. He missed a pair of games due to a suspension from the sign-stealing investigation into the school.

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Sherrone Moore’s booking photo was obtained by Fox News Digital on Dec. 18, 2025. (Washtenaw County Jail)

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Moore replaced Jim Harbaugh after the team completed a 15-0 season en route to a national championship — Moore was the offensive coordinator of that squad.

Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj and Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter

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No. 8 Michigan State beats Rutgers 91-87 before closing regular season at No. 3 Michigan

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No. 8 Michigan State beats Rutgers 91-87 before closing regular season at No. 3 Michigan


EAST LANSING, Mich. – Jeremy Fears had 21 points and eight assists and Coen Carr also scored 21, helping No. 8 Michigan State hold off Rutgers 91-87 on Thursday night.

The Spartans (25-5, 15-4 Big Ten) will close the regular season on the road against rival and third-ranked Michigan on Sunday.

Michigan State has won five straight games to secure a top-four seed in next week’s Big Ten Tournament and a double-bye into the quarterfinals.

The Scarlet Knights (12-18, 5-14) have slumped toward the bottom of the 18-team conference.

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Rutgers’ Tariq Francis scored 25 points, Lino Mark had 14 and Emmanuel Ogbole added 13.

Michigan State trailed by a point at halftime and took control with an 11-0 run. Carr dunked three times in 1:13 and Jordan Scott followed with a slam 32 seconds later.

The Spartans had a comfortable cushion until the final minute, when their 10-point lead was trimmed to two. Fears sealed the win with two free throws with 2.9 seconds left.

Jaxon Kohler scored 15 points and Carson Cooper added 14 in the final home game for both seniors.

Michigan State celebrated its seniors after the game, including Nick Sanders, son of Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders of the Detroit Lions.

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The school honored a military veteran, as it does every game before the national anthem is played, and the latest was Kohler’s 102-year-old great grandfather, Earl “Chuck” Kohler, who served in the Navy and is one of 12 remaining survivors of the Pearl Harbor attack.

Up next

Rutgers: Host Penn State on Sunday.

Michigan State: At No. 3 Michigan on Sunday.

___

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Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.



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Michigan to distribute marijuana tax revenue: What your city will get

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Michigan to distribute marijuana tax revenue: What your city will get


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  • The Michigan Department of Treasury will distribute tax revenue collected from marijuana sales to municipalities and counties.
  • The government entities will get about $54,000 per retail store or microbusiness, based on nearly $94 million collected.
  • Detroit, once again, will receive the most money of any municipality.

Michigan municipalities and counties that allow recreational marijuana dispensaries are set to receive far less money this year than last in their annual portion of tax revenue collected from cannabis sales.

Sales declined in 2025 for the first time since legal recreational marijuana sales started in December 2019.

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A total of 114 cities, 39 villages, 81 townships, 75 counties and four tribes will receive payments from the Marijuana Regulation Fund, according to a March 3 news release from Michigan’s Cannabis Regulatory Agency. They will get about $54,000 per retail store or microbusiness, based on nearly $94 million collected.

Last year, each eligible government entity received a little more than $58,000 per business based on a total of nearly $100 million in marijuana tax revenue.

Detroit, once again, will receive the most money of any municipality. There are 61 active retailer licenses in Detroit, so the city will get nearly $3.3 million in tax revenue.

State law determines how the money is split. The Michigan Transportation Fund gets 35% of the revenue, which is used for the repair and maintenance of roads and bridges, and another 35% goes to the School Aid Fund to be used for K-12 education. The other 30% is split between municipalities, counties and tribes.

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The payments come from revenue collected from the 10% recreational marijuana excise tax. This tax is separate from a new 24% wholesale tax that went into effect Jan. 1. The revenue from that tax will go to fixes for local roads.

Sales at recreational marijuana dispensaries declined by 3% last year to $3.17 billion, down from $3.28 billion in 2024, according to figures from Michigan’s Cannabis Regulatory Agency, leading to the smaller payouts. More government entities also split the revenue compared with last year.

Payments to municipalities could get smaller if sales continue to decline. Recreational marijuana sales in Michigan plunged nearly 16% in January compared with December as heavy snow, cold temperatures and fears of higher prices due to the new 24% wholesale cannabis tax kept consumers at home.

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While recent trends indicate a cooling period, a February report from Headset, a cannabis market intelligence firm, said the market — one of the largest in the country — has shown resilience over the last two years.

Below are the municipalities that received the most tax revenue:

  1. Detroit: $3.3 million
  2. Grand Rapids: $1.5 million
  3. Lansing: $1.4 million
  4. Ann Arbor: $1.2 million
  5. Kalamazoo: $1 million
  6. Flint: $648,000
  7. Traverse City, Hazel Park and Adrian all will receive $594,000.

For a full list of municipalities, counties and tribes that will receive marijuana tax revenue, go to www.michigan.gov/treasury.

Contact Adrienne Roberts: amroberts@freepress.com



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