BILLINGS, MT — A family dinner in Montana turned deadly when a man killed eight relatives, including four children, before setting the home on fire and later dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said. Yellowstone County Sheriff Kent O’Donnell said the attack devastated a multi-generational family gathered at a house on White Star Circle.
O’Donnell described the loss as something worse than tragic during an Aug. 26 briefing. He said the suspect, Alan Michael Smith, was confronted by officers after a 911 call came in just after 6 p.m. on Aug. 23. Smoke was already coming from the house when police arrived, and more gunshots were heard inside as the incident unfolded.
Deputies say the violence began after a 911 call from inside the White Star Circle home
Sheriff’s officials said the violence began when someone inside the home called 911 to report people were hurt. When officers reached the scene, Smith was in the front yard and retreated into the house after contact with police. Authorities said he then fled through the back of the home and took his own life in the backyard.
Billings Fire Department Chief Matt Hoppel said firefighters worked on the blaze until 1 a.m. The home fire added another layer of destruction to an already catastrophic scene, and investigators have not said what triggered the violence or the fire. Officials have also not publicly detailed how many shots were fired inside the home before Smith died.
Victims included siblings, stepchildren, parents and a grandmother in a blended family
Family members identified several of the victims to the Associated Press. They included Smith’s younger sister, Megan Ghekiere; her children, Owen Ireland, 13, and Chloe Ireland, 7; and her stepchildren, Landon Ghekiere, 15, and Charlotte Ghekiere, 12. Megan’s ex-husband, Brad Ireland, said the family had gathered for dinner when the attack happened.
Other people killed were Smith’s parents, Dana and Barb Smith, along with his grandmother, Evelyn Smith. Authorities said the gathering brought together a large blended family across four generations, underscoring how many relatives were affected at once. The deaths left the household and the wider family reeling in the immediate aftermath of the shooting and fire.
Relatives said warning signs had been raised before the attack in Montana
Brad Ireland told the AP that Smith was often described as a hermit who spent much of his time alone in his bedroom on a computer. He said Smith had been asked to move out by his parents weeks earlier. Ireland said there were warning signs and that some people had spoken up before the killings, but he believed those concerns went unheard.
Adam Ghekiere, Megan’s husband, said the dinner was unexpected because family meals were usually held on Fridays. He told the AP he did not think Smith expected the children to be there. A neighbor, Jennifer Mercer, said Charlotte was the hero and tried to save her family. Police have not confirmed who made the 911 call, but relatives and friends said it was Charlotte.
Sheriff says the family may never recover from the attack
O’Donnell said the case left a family shattered in a way that may never heal. He also said he would not continue to speak the suspect’s name after the briefing, reflecting the grim tone of the investigation and the scale of the loss.
Authorities have not announced any wider threat to the public. The focus remains on the shooting, the fire and the deaths of eight relatives in a single home. Investigators have not released a motive, and the case continues to stand out for the number of victims, the presence of children and the rapid sequence of violence that ended in suicide.
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