Alan Smith shot and killed eight of his family members during Sunday dinner at a home in Billings, Montana, before setting the residence on fire.
Smith, 44, took his own life shortly after the massacre on Sunday evening, which occurred several weeks after his parents asked him to move out of the home, according to family spokesperson Brad Ireland.
The victims included Smith's parents, his sister Megan Ghekiere, her children Landon, 15, and Charlotte, 12, her stepchildren Owen, 13, and Chloe, 7, and a 92-year-old wheelchair-bound great-grandmother, along with two other family members. Ireland, whose ex-wife Megan and two children Chloe and Owen were among the dead, identified Smith as the gunman who torched the Billings home to the ground, trapping several relatives inside.
Megan's husband, Adam Ghekiere, an airport rescue firefighter, was working at an airshow when he heard on the fire department communications system that a violent incident was unfolding near his in-laws' home. The emergency occurred in Billings, the largest city in Montana and the county seat of Yellowstone County.
"I tried calling the house and no one answered. I checked my kids’ locations, both Landon and Charlotte, and no one answered," Ghekiere told The US Sun.
When Ghekiere arrived at the scene, emergency responders prevented him from approaching because the area remained unsafe. "By the time we got to the house, they wouldn’t let us get any closer because it was still under an active shooter status. I feared the worst right then," he said. Family members confirmed that Ghekiere was not involved in the shooting.
911 Call and Responding Firefighters
Interim Yellowstone County Sheriff Kent O'Donnell said gunshots were heard in the background of a 911 call made from the home, and the property was set alight within three minutes.
"We have a situation going on with shots being fired," the dispatcher said in the emergency recording. The dispatcher added that "there is also going to be an unconscious child inside of the home."
The dispatcher could not confirm whether the child had been shot or was still breathing, but doubled down on the report that they were unconscious. Responding officers were advised that a fire engine was staged in the area and that another engine had been requested.
Billings Fire Department Chief Matt Hoppel said responding firefighters were hampered because there were no fire hydrants in the immediate area.
"The delay and limited access presented significant challenges. Fire conditions continued to worsen, and the residence ultimately became heavily involved and was consumed by fire," Chief Hoppel said.
Tributes to the Victims
Family members and friends paid tribute online to the young victims. Landon Ghekiere was 15 years old and preparing to begin his sophomore year at Senior High School, a public high school in Billings.
"He was a loving, caring young man who was always willing to lend a hand to his family and neighbors," loved ones wrote on an online fundraiser. "He was looking forward to getting his driver’s license this week and was a patient, protective, and loving big brother."
His 12-year-old sister, Charlotte Ghekiere, was killed alongside him just as she was about to start seventh grade.
"Funny, precocious, and adorable - with just the right amount of stubborn - Charlotte had an angelic smile and loved posing for pictures," the fundraiser stated. "She especially loved exploring the world around her, turning over rocks to look for bugs. Oh, how she loved her bugs!"
The Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office and other law enforcement agencies are continuing to investigate the events leading up to the shooting and how the house was set on fire.
