BILLINGS, MT — A Montana family dinner ended in catastrophe Sunday when a man opened fire inside a Billings home, killing eight relatives, including four children, according to family members and investigators. The suspect, identified by relatives as 44-year-old Alan Smith, later died after suffering a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Family members said Smith had been asked to leave the home weeks earlier but returned on the night of the gathering. Police said officers responded as the house burned, and investigators later confirmed there were eight victims in all. A family friend who helped organize support for the relatives said the dead ranged from a great-grandmother in her 90s to a 7-year-old girl.
Family members say the shooting followed weeks of tension at the house
Brad Ireland, whose former wife and two children were among those killed, said Smith had been living with his parents for years before they forced him out about two weeks before the attack. Ireland said Smith came back during the family’s regular Sunday dinner and opened fire. He said the victims included Smith’s parents, his grandmother, his younger sister and four children.
Among the dead were Megan Ghekiere, Ireland’s ex-wife, and the couple’s children, Owen Ireland, 13, and Chloe Ireland, 7. Also killed were Ghekiere’s two stepchildren from her current marriage, Landon Ghekiere, 15, and Charlotte Ghekiere, 12. Ireland said Smith was a “hermit” who spent most of his time alone in his room on the computer.
A 12-year-old is credited with calling 911 before the family was overwhelmed
Jennifer Mercer, a neighbor and family friend, said Charlotte Ghekiere tried to save her relatives and called 911 during the attack. Mercer said Charlotte was “the hero” and that the family wanted that detail known publicly. Mercer also said the household was close-knit and loving, and that the children got along well even after their parents divorced.
Mercer said the wider community has been shaken by the killings. A fundraiser set up to help cover funeral costs and other expenses has drawn attention from people who knew the family and from those who did not. The victims represented four generations of the same blended family, she said.
Investigators say the home was engulfed in flames when officers arrived
Police said they heard gunshots coming from behind the house when they reached the scene Sunday evening. Soon after, the home was fully engulfed in flames. Smith tried to flee but was confronted by law enforcement, according to Ireland, who said investigators told him Smith shot himself.
David Hiller, a neighbor who lives three doors down, said he first heard what sounded like fireworks shortly after 6 p.m. He later saw tactical officers taking cover behind vehicles as black smoke rose from the residence. Hiller said he rushed outside after hearing about the shooting from another neighbor and saw a heavy police response on the cul-de-sac.
The suspect had no known criminal record, according to records checked in two states
According to searches of criminal records in Montana and Washington, Smith had not been arrested or charged with a crime. Ireland said Smith had attended Eastern Washington University but had been unable to find or keep a job. Ireland added that, to his knowledge, Smith had never been physically violent, although he could be verbally abusive.
Police have not publicly detailed a motive. The family members who spoke about Smith described repeated warning signs before the shooting, but those concerns did not prevent the deadly attack. Authorities said the investigation remained active after the deaths of the eight victims and the suspect.
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