Billings, Montana, in the United States, has been rocked by a horrific incident in which a 44-year-old man killed eight members of his family, including four children, before setting fire to the home.
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Officers went to the scene following a call reporting gunshots. When they arrived, they heard shots coming from the back of the house, while moments later the entire building was engulfed in flames.
The suspect, Alan Smith, had lived in the house with his parents for years. Relatives said he had been asked to leave several weeks earlier, but on Sunday he returned just as the family had gathered for its weekly dinner.
Authorities confirmed that eight people had died and said that Smith had also shot himself. The home was completely destroyed by the flames, making the investigation more difficult. Firefighters worked to put out the blaze until approximately 1:00 a.m. on Monday.
Among the victims were Smith’s parents, his grandmother and sister, as well as Megan Ghekiere, the former wife of Brad Ireland, and the four children. The victims belonged to four generations of one family, ranging from a great-grandmother in her 90s who used a wheelchair to a 7-year-old girl.
The children who died were Owen Ireland, 13, Chloe Ireland, 7, Landon Ghekiere, 15, and Charlotte Ghekiere, 12.
Charlotte was hailed as a hero by relatives after calling 911 and attempting to get help for her family. The family was originally from the Seattle area and had moved to Montana several years earlier.
According to family members, Alan Smith was withdrawn and spent most of his time alone in his room, in front of his computer. Brad Ireland said warning signs had been noticed earlier and that several people had raised concerns about Smith’s behavior, but no intervention had taken place.
At the time of the attack, Megan Ghekiere’s husband, Adam Ghekiere, was at work. He heard about the shooting on the radio and then tried to contact his family members. When he went to the home, he found it engulfed in flames. It was only two hours later that he was informed that his wife and children had died. He said Charlotte had made the call to 911 from inside the house.
“I keep hearing her repeat the phrase she used to say every time: ‘I love you,’ and she would reply: ‘I love you more,’” Ghekiere recounted.
