Monroe County school leaders speak out after 3 teens die in 2 separate shooting incidents
Tight-knit communities in Monroe County are reeling after three teens died in separate incidents over the last week.
On Tuesday, 16-year-olds Faith Hamilton and Landon Lafond were found dead outside a car in Raisinville Township.
On June 14 in Bedford Township, 33-year-old Ryne Jacob Leist allegedly shot and killed 17-year-old Gwendolyn Fay Smith before dying by suicide.
"It's been tragic. It's been a significant impact on our community," said Monroe County Sheriff Troy Goodnough.
Monroe County Intermediate School District Superintendent Dr. Stephen McNew says these situations have rocked the area, with the three students attending two of the largest schools in the district.
"There's so many unanswered questions. It's tragic enough if a student is killed in a car accident or something like that, but when it's a situation like this," said McNew.
Right now, little information is known about the relationship between Smith and Leist, with authorities saying the victim didn't believe there was anything romantic between her and the former school bowling coach.
"We don't have any information to that fact, other than we know that five days prior to this incident, there was a communication that was being looked into," said Goodnough.
Investigators say Hamilton and Lafond appeared to be dating, with officers finding writings inside Lafond's car indicating that he planned to take both of their lives.
McNew says these cases, particularly of the young couple, highlight the concerns his district has over rising numbers of violence in all forms in the community.
"Monroe County itself only has about 150,000 residents. So, whenever there's an incident in one of our school districts, it's obviously extremely impactful," said McNew.
To combat that, McNew credits the district's mental health team, with 11 members spread out across the county to support students, faculty and staff as they navigate difficult situations.
"If they see anything that's out of the ordinary, they report it, and we follow up on it. We try to be as proactive as we possibly can. I would not want to be reactive," said McNew.
Hamilton and Lafond were students of Airport Community Schools. District Superintendent Ryan Duvall released a statement saying, "The Airport Community Schools family is mourning this unimaginable loss, and our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the families and loved ones affected by this tragedy."
McNew says school and law enforcement leaders plan to maintain ongoing conversations as these investigations continue to ensure the community gets the support it needs.
