Eight Family Members Killed in Montana Shooting and House Fire

BILLINGS, Mont. — A Sunday family gathering near Billings ended in unimaginable tragedy after eight members of the same family, including four children, were killed in a shooting that was followed by a devastating house fire.

The victims spanned four generations, with ages ranging from a 7-year-old girl to a great-grandmother in her 90s, according to family members who spoke with The Associated Press.

Authorities identified 44-year-old Alan Smith as the suspected shooter. Police have not publicly announced a motive.

Four Generations Lost

The victims were identified by relatives as Dana and Barb Smith, Evelyn Smith, Megan Ghekiere, Owen Ireland, Chloe Ireland, Landon Ghekiere and Charlotte Ghekiere.

The four children were Owen, 13; Chloe, 7; Landon, 15; and Charlotte, 12.

Family members said the gathering was unusual because their family dinners were typically held on Fridays rather than Sundays.

What began as a family meal would become a devastating loss for relatives who were suddenly left mourning parents, siblings, grandchildren and children.

12-Year-Old Called 911

One of the most heartbreaking details to emerge concerns Charlotte Ghekiere.

Family friend Jennifer Mercer told the AP that Charlotte called 911 and tried to get help for her family as the shooting unfolded.

Mercer described the 12-year-old as a hero and said her family wanted people to know about her actions during the terrifying incident.

Charlotte was remembered as a funny and adventurous girl who loved searching beneath rocks for bugs. She had been preparing to begin seventh grade.

Her older brother Landon was remembered as a protective big brother who was preparing to start his sophomore year and looking forward to eventually getting his driver’s license.

Police Arrived as the House Burned

Billings police responded to the residence shortly after 6 p.m. Sunday.

Officers reported hearing gunshots coming from behind the home. The residence soon became engulfed in flames, complicating efforts to reach the scene, recover the victims and determine exactly what had happened.

Authorities later confirmed that eight people had been killed. The suspected gunman also died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to authorities.

Investigators have not publicly disclosed what triggered the violence.

Suspect Had Been Living With His Parents

Family members told the AP that Smith had been living with his parents for years.

Brad Ireland, the father of Owen and Chloe, described Smith as a “hermit” who spent much of his time alone on his computer.

Relatives also said Smith had reportedly been asked to move out of his parents’ home only weeks before the killings.

However, investigators have not confirmed that dispute as a motive, and authorities have not publicly explained why the shooting occurred.

Father Rushed to the Burning Home

Megan Ghekiere’s husband, Adam Ghekiere, was working when the shooting happened.

An airport rescue firefighter, Adam said he heard about the active shooting over a dispatch radio. He tried calling his family before racing to the residence.

When he arrived, the home was already burning.

He later learned that his wife and their children were among those who had been killed.

The devastating realization left him grieving multiple members of his immediate family at once.

A Family Left to Grieve

Fundraisers have been established to help surviving relatives with funeral expenses, counseling and other costs.

Memorials for Landon and Charlotte have highlighted the personalities and dreams of two young lives that ended far too soon.

Landon was looking ahead to his teenage milestones. Charlotte was preparing for another school year and enjoying the simple adventures of childhood.

Now their family is left trying to make sense of a tragedy that destroyed an entire branch of their family in a matter of minutes.

Eight members of one family are dead, four of them children. As investigators work to determine what led to the shooting and fire, loved ones are remembering the victims not for the violence that took their lives, but for the people they were — children, parents, siblings and grandparents whose absence will be felt for generations.