BILLINGS, MT — A man killed eight of his relatives, including four children, during a shooting at a Billings home that was also set on fire Sunday evening, according to authorities and local media reports.
Police have described the case as a family disturbance. The suspect was later found outside the house with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, taken to a hospital and died there, officials said.
The victims were said to span four generations of a blended family, from a woman in her 90s to a 7-year-old girl. Authorities have not yet released the victims’ names, and investigators have not said what started the fire or what led up to the attack.
Officer heard gunfire before the home was engulfed in flames
Billings police said an officer responded around 6 p.m. to a report of a shooter at a home in the city’s west end. As the officer approached, gunshots were heard from the back of the house, and the residence was soon fully engulfed in flames.
Yellowstone County Sheriff Kent O’Donnell said Monday that all of the people targeted in the shooting were dead, including multiple adults and multiple juveniles. Police Sgt. Jeff Stovall said the department was limiting details to protect the integrity of the investigation.
Officials also said firefighters were held back until officers secured the scene. Fire Chief Matt Hoppel said limited access and possible water-supply problems made the response harder and allowed the fire to worsen before crews could fully act.
Family members identify the shooter and describe the victims
Brad Ireland, the former husband of one of the victims and father of two others, identified the suspect as Alan Smith, 44. Ireland said Smith had recently been told to move out of the home.
Jennifer Mercer, a neighbor and family friend who organized an online fundraiser to help with funeral costs and other expenses, said the dead included members of four generations of the same blended family. Mercer was authorized to share those details publicly.
Authorities have not publicly confirmed the suspect’s name in the information provided so far. Investigators also have not announced a motive, and they continue to gather evidence at the scene.
Investigation continues after fire slows evidence recovery
O’Donnell said the fire and the water used to suppress it will slow the collection of evidence and the recovery of remains. He asked the public to stay away from the scene while investigators work.
Officials expected to provide another update on Wednesday. For now, they have released only limited information as the case remains under active investigation.
The Montana killings came after five people were killed in rural Forest Grove, Oregon, in a separate case that authorities say also ended with the suspected killer’s death. Together, the incidents underscore how quickly mass-casualty family attacks can overwhelm local response and recovery efforts.
Mass-murder totals rise as family annihilation cases draw scrutiny
Separately, the Gun Violence Archive says the Oregon case pushed the number of U.S. mass murders this year to at least 16. If the Montana deaths are confirmed in full, that total would rise to 17, including five in August.
The archive defines mass murder as an incident in which four or more people are killed. Analysts note that many such cases fit the pattern of family annihilation, a crime in which multiple close relatives are killed, most often by an armed man.
That pattern has drawn renewed attention in recent years as researchers and journalists have questioned why there is no nationwide strategy aimed specifically at preventing these killings before they unfold inside homes.
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